Saving a Dragon
by WendyHamlet
Summary: All she ever wished for is freedom. But wishes have a way of turning against you as the princess soon finds out when she's whisked away from the castle in the dead of night. When it's revealed that her mysterious savior has a dark secret, and she discovers a plot to destroy the three kingdoms, Lucy must decide whose side she's on and if she's willing to risk everything for love
1. The Beast of the Ball

**Chapter one: The Beast of the Ball**

"Come in." Lucy called in response to the rap of knuckles on her bedroom door.

"Do you need assistance getting ready, princess?"

Glancing over her shoulder as she fastened a dangling diamond earring, the blonde smiled at her maidservant. "Yes, thank you, Virgo. If you don't mind I need someone to help lace my corset."

The maid nodded and then surveyed the room for the item. "Pardon me, princess, but have you selected what dress you'll be wearing this evening?"

Letting out a sigh, Lucy dropped her hands from securing her second earring, and shook her head. "No. To be honest, I don't even care anymore."

Moving to sit beside her mistress with a concerned crease in her brow, Virgo lightly placed her hand on Lucy's arm. "What's wrong, princess? You're usually so excited to get all dressed up for a ball."

Lucy gave the maid a weak smile. "I guess I'm just tired of pretending."

Worry settled into the maid's heart as she looked at the sadness that radiated heavily from her mistress, her friend's, eyes. In an attempt to cheer her up, Virgo gave her arm an encouraging squeeze and smiled brightly. "You'll have fun tonight, I know you will!" She stood up and darted to the wardrobe, sorting through the elegant gowns as she continued. "It is a special occasion, it's not every day you turn nineteen." Twirling to face the princess, arms overflowing with satin and silk, she raised an eyebrow. "Or meet a prince."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Like he'll be any different from all the other men my father has tried to match me with."

Virgo laid the gown on the bed, briefly smoothing the fabric before searching and gathering all the necessary additional clothing. "Well you've never met with a prince before, the other suitors were merely lords or dukes, perhaps he'll be different. He does come from the Northern kingdom after all."

Lucy snorted lightly, halfheartedly experimenting with different ways to do her hair.

Virgo's reflection appeared in the mirror behind her, holding a basket of hair accessories. "Even if he is just as awful as the rest, tonight's ball will be splendid."  
Lucy quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? Why?"

Virgo smiled and held up a delicate item. "It's a masquerade."

"The Duke and Duchess of Redul!" The announcer continued calling out titles and names as more guests arrived, his face remaining completely impassive as he did so, almost looking as if he was asleep.

Lucy couldn't blame him, as she peeked out from the doorway at the top of the stairs, watching the gigantic ballroom below steadily fill with people, she couldn't imagine having to bellow out each and every person who entered.

Turning back to the room she was waiting in, she fidgeted with the dangling crystal accents on her dress, fingers absentmindedly smoothing over the shimmering embroidery around her bodice that faded down into the flowing skirt.

She checked to make sure her hair and tiara were still secured, an uncomfortable twist in her gut as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.  
She really was a princess, glittering and sparkling with precious gems and fine fabric, every hair impeccably pinned up intricately with curls to accentuate her face.

She sneered at her reflection and quickly looked away.

Her thoughts were interrupted as trumpets suddenly began to blare, meaning the prince had finally arrived.

"His royal highness, the second prince of Frostfell, the kingdom to the north!"

Lucy peeked out once again, eyes searching for the prince.

She spotted her father first, tall and broad and stern, striding across the room to greet a slender man with dark hair.  
Her eyebrows rose as her father and the prince bowed to each other and exchanged greetings, she was too far away to hear what they were saying, but while they conversed she examined the prince.

He held himself like a prince should, tall and straight, his hair was fairly long and styled back. He was dressed in the royal colors of Frostfell, black as treacherous as a winter storm, and the pale blue-silver of fresh snow.

From the distance and the dark mask he was wearing, she couldn't make much of his face, but it appeared that his looks were promising.

"Announcing her royal highness, the princess of Celestia, and heir to the throne, Lucy Heartfilia!"

With a sigh, Lucy straightened up, plastered a smile on her face, and stepped out onto the top of the staircase as music began to play.  
The guests applauded as she gracefully floated down the staircase and approached her father and the prince.

"Father." She greeted, straining to keep the smile on her face. It made her heart ache to see the way he was looking at her. She knew he was thinking of her mother, and although she didn't excuse how he acted, she understood why he was the way he was. People dealt with grief in odd ways.

"Lucy...you certainly are the belle of the ball."

Her smile turned just the slightest bit genuine. Although these fleeting moments when she saw the man he used to be were nice, she almost wish they didn't happen, she'd gotten her hopes up far too many times.

"Prince Fullbuster, may I introduce my daughter, Lucy." Her father said, slipping back into strict king mode.

The prince turned to her, taking her hand and bowing low, he placed a gentle kiss against her gloved knuckles, eyes as dark and cool as black ice staring intensely into her own. "Your highness."

She curtseyed in response. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, prince Fullbuster."

He straightened up and released her hand, motioning to his left where a tall woman dressed in a burnt mahogany gown and delicate gold mask stood. Her dark hair hung sleek and straight, glittering eyes darker than the prince's locked on Lucy.

"May I introduce my stepsister, Ultear."

The two women bowed their heads to each other. "A pleasure."

Ultear smirked and placed her hand on the prince's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze as she said. "Mother couldn't very well let the baby of the family off on such a long and important journey without a chaperone. Especially since he might be meeting his future bride, and princess of Frostfell."

Lucy fought the anger that boiled up. No matter how many times it was brought up, she would never stand for being treated like property.

"Would you do me the honor of a dance?" The prince said suddenly, breaking the tense moment.

She blinked in surprise as he took her hand gently but firmly, and led her onto the dance floor.

Her hand came to rest automatically on his shoulder, his free hand lightly resting on her waist.

"I apologize for my sister, she can be a bit...tactless." He said as they moved across the dance floor, both having been taught so they could practically dance in their sleep.

"I'm quite used to such remarks, prince Fullbuster."

"Gray, please."

She nodded. "Gray. Being a princess you become accustomed to people talking as if you weren't even there."

He shrugged slightly. "That doesn't make it right."

"No, but that is the way it is."

They fell silent for a few moments, moving among the other dancers to the sway of the music.

"So," Lucy finally said. "It seems like we might end up betrothed...we might as well get to know each other a little."  
She chanced a look up at his face, his brows were furrowed ever so slightly, eyes staring over the top of her head into thin air.

"I suppose so."

When he still remained silent after a few minutes, Lucy spoke up again. "So...is Ultear in line to inherit the throne?"

Gray scoffed. "Not at all. My older brother, Lyon is successor to the throne. Despite the fact that he's a Vastia and not a Fullbuster."

Lucy frowned. "Is he your step brother then?"

"Sort of, he was the son of my stepmother, Ur's late husband. He became Ur's son through marriage. When her husband died and she married my father, both he and Ultear, who was Ur's daughter from a teenage...accident, became my step-siblings. My father adopted them so Lyon, being the eldest son will inherit the throne."

Lucy shook her head slightly. "Well, that certainly is...complicated."

Gray smiled at that, and the sight did wonders for his cold, aloof countenance. "It is."

"It must be frustrating, having someone not related by blood come into the family and take your place of succession for the throne."

His lips formed a thin line as he lowered his eyebrows slightly and finally looked down at her, meeting her gaze. "I know what you're thinking, and no, I don't resent Lyon at all. It doesn't matter if we share the same blood or not, he is my family."

Lucy's heart ached longingly. Family, to have a bond like that with someone again...

"Besides," Gray continued, "it's not like I wanted to be king anyway, Lyon is far more suited to rule a kingdom."

Lucy blinked up at him in surprise. "But if we marry...you'll be a king anyway."

His eyes flickered to hers for the briefest of moments before resuming their steady gaze across the dance floor. "Very true."

The song ended and they bowed and curtseyed to each other, Gray taking her hand and placing another kiss against her gloved knuckles. "Let's just say princess, that maybe you aren't the only one who dislikes being treated like a bargaining chip."  
With that, he straightened up, escorted her off the dance floor and returned to his elder sister's side. Courteously engaging some Lords in conversation.

Lucy clasped and unclasped her hands together, mind distracted as she wandered from one end of the ballroom to the other.  
So Gray wasn't enthused about this arrangement either. The thought was equally comforting and disappointing. Out of all the men Lucy had talked with, he was the only one she even allowed herself to consider marrying.

"Princess Heartfilia! Don't you look positively scrumptious this evening!"

A chill slithered down her spine, shoulders growing rigid as she froze at the sound of that voice. Who would ever let a scoundrel like Duke Bora be invited?  
Before she could plan an escape route, he had her cornered, dressed in a gaudy purple and gold suit, the matching mask just as hideous. Although it was perhaps an improvement on his actual face.

"Duke Bora," Lucy said, attempting to be as civil as possible as she tried to edge away. "I didn't know you were coming."

He smiled, a sight for more lecherous looking than he probably intended. "Ah well it seems my invitation got lost, but I knew I just had to come to such a...special occasion."

Lucy laughed in an attempt to fight the rising bile in her throat. "Oh, well you really shouldn't have gone to all that trouble..."

"Nonsense! It's no trouble at all. Indeed, to see such a sight as yourself, dressed in midnight blue and pale silver, glittering like starlight, why, I would travel to the ends of the world to behold a goddess such as yourself."

"You flatter me much too highly..." Lucy said, growing increasingly uncomfortable as she found her back pressed against the wall.

"Nay, I fail to capture the essence of your beauty in mere words! Alas there are none to describe such perfection."

She almost slapped him as his gaze lingered far too long on her cleavage.  
"Yes, well, I should be going now..."

"What's your rush?" Bora purred, putting his hand against the wall to cut off her escape.

"I believe she granted me the pleasure of the next dance." A cool voice cut in before Lucy could speak up.

Her mind flooded with relief at the sight of Gray standing behind Bora, his shoulders stuff and head high, challenging Bora to defy him.

"Ah...well, I see." Bora coughed and backed away from Lucy. "Well then, perhaps the next dance will be all my pleasure." He snatched her hand and placed a quick kiss against it before disappearing into the crowd.

"Are you alright?"

Lucy wrinkled her nose and wiped her hand on her skirt even though it was gloved. "I'm fine, thank you."

"I saw that scumbag corner you and decided to intervene." He smirked slightly. "Although I have no doubt that you can defend yourself, I thought you might not want to get blood on your dress."

Lucy laughed at that, holding a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles as she imagined braining Bora over the head with her high heels. "Hahaha! Oh dear...haha, yes, thank you for taking my dress into consideration. It would be a shame to waste such fine craftsmanship on him."

Gray chuckled and then scratched the back of his neck. "True. So...did you want to dance? I was on my way to the washroom when I saw you..."

Lucy laughed, motioning toward the door. "By all means, proceed, there will always be another dance."

He nodded and continued out of the room.

Lucy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, already tired of the evening and wishing she could just go upstairs to her room, get out of this stifling dress and curl up on her bed with some parchment and quill to work on her stories. Or perhaps to read that old book she'd discovered hidden away in the library.  
But unfortunately the night was still fairly young, and the party would likely last for a good five hours still.

Hoping to revive her dulled senses a bit, she slipped out onto one of the many balconies clinging to the walls of the palace.  
The night air was cool and clear, a light breeze ruffling through her dress as she closed her eyes and inhaled the twilight, listening to a pair of nightingales trill at each other.  
Oh to have wings to take you anywhere, to soar through the sky unhindered and unburdened by life's problems. To be free...oh how she wished to be free. Lucy thought wistfully.

"Look! A shooting star!"

The princess' gaze lifted skyward at the sound of the shout, watching the bright light streak across the sky, a tail of star dust glittering in it's wake.  
She spent a few minutes staring up at the stars even after the comet had long past. Her mother had always loved the stars, she'd spent hours teaching young Lucy their names and constellations. It was bittersweet looking at them now, but oddly, still comforting, as if her mother was looking back down at her from the starry heavens.

With a sigh, Lucy turned and entered the ballroom once more. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she still hadn't had anything to eat.

She made her way over to where several long banquet tables were set up, heavily laden with only the finest food, all of her favorites.  
Selecting a dainty strawberry pastry, she was about to bite into it when she spotted Bora, neck craning this way and that as his eyes roamed the crowd.

Oh no.

He was looking for her.

Squeaking as his gaze shifted toward her, she ducked down underneath the table, adjusting the tablecloth behind her so that she was completely concealed.  
Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned inward and almost screamed.

"What the heck are you doing hiding underneath a table?"

She was so shocked that she could only stare open-mouthed. When she finally found her voice she spluttered indignantly. "I could ask you the same question!"

The person, a young man, shifted and adjusted the dark red mask covering most of his face, the only place not covered being his pointed chin, the hints of a sharp jawline disappearing underneath the edges of the mask.  
Dark eyes glittered through the mask, gaze intense and curious. "I'm the guy who crashed your party, you're the one who threw it, you tell me which makes more sense." His eyes flickered to the pastry still in her hand. "You gonna eat that?"

"You-you what? How did you get in? There's no way you could've gotten through our security."

He snorted. "Dress up in some fancy clothes and a mask and walk in with a group of other guests, piece of cake. Speaking of..." He took a large bite of cake that he had nestled among a mountain of other food piled onto a platter.

Lucy blinked. "Why?"

His eyes flickered back up to hers. "Hmm?" He questioned, mouth full of cake.

"Why did you crash my party? And how did you know it was mine?"

He chuckled. "With an introduction like that it's kinda hard to miss. As for why I crashed..." He motioned to the food. "Best food around, never turn down a free meal."

Lucy crossed her arms. "You should leave...before I call security."

He cocked his head to the side slightly. "Nah you're not going to call security."

"What? Yes I will!"

He shook his head slightly. "You would've if you were going to by now. Besides, you're hiding for a reason, making a scene would only draw attention to yourself, attention it seems you want to avoid." He shrugged and took another bite of food. "Don't worry though, soon as I'm finished with this I'll be on my way, got a long way to go tonight."

Despite herself, Lucy felt drawn to the mysterious young man. She had no reason to trust him, but she felt like she could.  
"Where are you going?"

He grinned at her poorly masked curiosity. "On an adventure."

Before she could ask him any more questions, she heard her father calling her.  
With a frustrated and slightly distressed sound, she looked toward where his voice had come from, knowing if he didn't find her soon he'd call for a search. Something she definitely didn't want.

"Duty calls?"

Glancing back at the young man, Lucy let out a sigh. "Probably wants me to talk some more to my more-than-likely future fiancé..."

He nodded, but didn't say anything, merely giving her a lazy salute as he continued to stuff his face.

Lucy hesitated, then shook her head. "Be sure you move on soon...good luck on your adventure." She blurted, scrambling as inconspicuously out from underneath the table as she could, straightening her dress and smiling before turning back and diving into the party once more.

Holding her candle in front of her to illuminate the dim hallways, Lucy crept down the corridor toward the library, her bare feet padding quietly against the cool stone floor.

Wishing she'd grabbed her shawl, she shivered slightly as a draft swept down the corridor. There would be a blanket or two in the library she could curl up in once she made it there.

She froze at a sudden sound, head turning toward the staircase leading down to her right. That led down to the treasury and dungeons...what would someone be doing down there at this time of night?

Before she could decide what to do, a dark shape hurtled out of the staircase and crashed into her.

Her yell of surprise was cut off by a hand clamping over her mouth, eyes going wide as they met a pair of dark ones that looked all too familiar.  
Gone was the fancy suit and red mask, now he was dressed in simple black clothes, hair no longer hidden tumbled freely into his eyes and down around his neck. Was it...pink?

A wide, toothy grin stretched above a sharp jawline, his slightly raspy voice low as he said. "Careful, princess, dangerous things lurk in the night."

His head snapped up at the sound of a guard's shout, a hiss escaping his lips as the sounds of pursuit grew closer.  
Snatching the candle from where it had fallen, he snuffed it out with his fingers and then hauled Lucy to her feet, still holding a hand over her mouth as he whispered. "Stay quiet."

They stood motionless against the wall, going completely unnoticed by the couple of guards who hurried past.

Once the sounds of their footsteps could no longer be heard, he released his hold on her and flashed her another grin, displaying slightly pointed canines. "Whoo, that was a close one. Well, see ya."

"Wait!" Lucy grabbed his sleeve as he turned to go. "What in heavens name were you doing? Why did you really come here? Are you a thief? What is going on?"

He hesitated, gaze flickering over her head at the sound of more guards approaching before looking back down at her. "Listen, as much as I'd love to stay and answer all your questions, I'd rather not get caught. So you can either scream for the guards, or you can come with me."

She stared at him. "I- co- what? Are you insane! I don't even know you!"

He shrugged. "True, but that's twice now you've decided not to rat me out, which means you trust me, even if just a little. And something tells me you could use a good adventure. So what do you say?" He held out his hand, eyebrows raised questioningly.

A thousand thoughts raced through her head at once, heart pounding, body thrumming with adrenaline.  
It was crazy, one hundred percent ridiculous and insane. She prided herself on her sensibility and good judgement and it was screaming a million reasons why this was a bad idea.

Before she knew it, she had taken his hand and nodded, unable to keep the smile off her face as he flashed that infectious grin at her again. And then they were running.

As she led him out of the castle through a side gate and they began to dash through the forest, still holding hands so they wouldn't lose each other in the dark, she laughed at the feeling of the wind streaming past her face, feet hardly seeming to touch the ground as she raced along.

She'd learned to fly at last.

"Ready for an adventure, princess?"

"Yes! More than anything!" She felt his grip tighten ever so slightly on her hand, the small action sending a thrill through her.

"Good!"

"Just call me Lucy, please, I never did like titles much."

He grinned. "Alright Lucy, my name's Natsu Dragneel."

She laughed again at the utter ridiculousness of the past twelve hours and squeezed his hand back. "It's nice to meet you, Natsu Dragneel."


	2. When you Lose a Princess

**AN: Here we go! The second part to me medieval AU, I hope you all enjoy the story!**

 **If you're reading this on tumblr feel free to leave your thought in the tags! I'm lame so I check every reblog to see if someone left their thoughts in the tags and it makes me unbelievably happy to see when you do XD**

 **If you're reading this on , please leave a review! I absolutely adore hearing your thoughts and it really encourages me to write.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO: When you Lose a Princess.**

"What the hell is going on? Weren't we supposed to be called to breakfast an hour ago? And why is everyone acting so crazy? Perhaps they do things differently in the South, but I'd thought a kingdom as sophisticated as Celestia would have a bit more etiquette."

Gray let out a sigh, rolling his eyes as Ultear once again passed him, rambling on about customs and decorum. She tended to be a bit grumpy before breakfast and a good strong cup of coffee.

"Why don't you just sit down and relax? We'll find out soon enough what's what, walking a rut into the floor isn't going to do anything but distress the castle mason."

Ultear narrowed her almond eyes at him, the dark slits piercing sharper than any sword. But Gray had grown accustomed to the icy glares over the years, knowing that if she didn't get her way soon, all hell would break lose.

His prediction was proven a moment later when she threw open the door and shouted at a passing servant. "You! Tell King Jude that if I don't get an explanation about his sorry lack of courtesy within the next five minutes, I'll leave and take his precious future son in law with me!"

The poor servant who had already looked distressed enough as it is, widened her brown doe eyes and pulled at a lock of candy pink hair while blushing. "I-I'm sorry..." She mumbled, tears welling in her eyes.

"Ignore her." Gray called from inside the room, motioning for her to move on with her duties.

As she scurried away, Ultear whirled on him. Before she could say anything however, Gray stood up and stretched lazily. "Listen, if you promise to sit here and relax, I'll go see about getting some breakfast sent to our quarters. Alright?"

She contemplated this for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, but you'd best hurry."

He waved a hand dismissively as he headed for the door. "Yeah yeah I'll get it done."

"Gray?"

He paused and glanced back at her. "What?"

"Maybe put some clothes on first?"

He glanced down and let out a frustrated sigh as he observed he was still dressed in the boxer's he'd slept in. Grumbling as he hurriedly dressed in black pants and a more casual dark gray shirt. "It's not my fault this south kingdom is so hot."

Once he was properly attired, Gray wandered out into the hall, trying to remember where the dining room was located.

A few minutes later he heard heated voices and headed toward the sound, maybe someone would explain what was going on.

"Is anything missing? There has to be some trace!"

"Besides the obvious? No, guards reported possibly detecting an intruder but they found no evidence of one. Besides herself, none of her possessions are missing."

"Well then where is she?"

"Excuse me," Gray interrupted, lightly knocking on the doorframe as he raised an eyebrow questioningly at the two men huddled together at the end of a table. The king and a ginger haired man with narrow glasses, his uniform indicated that he was some form of guard.

"Yes, can we help you?" The ginger man asked, straightening up and adjusting his glasses.

The king straightened as well, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Loke, you were occupied last night, but this is the reason for the increased security. Meet the second prince of the Northern Kingdom of Frostfell, Gray Fullbuster."

The ginger, Loke was his name? Stepped forward and looked Gray over, his amber eyes seeming to pierce right through him. "Ah, yes. The Prince. I'm Loke, commander of the royal guard. If you don't mind, his Majesty and I are a little preoccupied at the moment, I can call a servant to come attend to whatever needs you may have."

Gray glanced between him and the king, weighing his options. "My sister is a little...impatient for some breakfast." He said slowly.

Loke nodded. "Of course, I will have the servants send a full breakfast to your quarters." He smiled charmingly. "Just relax and enjoy yourself, perhaps take a walk around the castle grounds."

"What are you trying to hide?" Gray asked suddenly, having enough with all the beating around the bush that was going on.

Loke's smile remained on his face, although Gray could see something dangerous flashing in his eyes. He may look like a pansy, but he wasn't someone to be messed with.

"I think perhaps his highness should not be concerned with personal matters of the kingdom."

"I think that whatever is going on is important, if there is any threat to me or my sister I have a right to know."

"There is no danger to you or your sister, I assure you."

"Then what?"

Loke turned and looked at the king, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

"Oh go on and tell him, he's bound to find out sooner or later, no point in keeping it from him." King Jude said, shaking his head wearily.

"Princess Lucy is…missing."

Gray blinked. "Missing? Has she been taken captive?"

Loke shook his head. "As far as we can tell? No. There were no signs of someone breaking into the castle grounds, and there is no indication of an abduction."

"Then where did she go?"

Loke shrugged. "It's possible she's simply in the castle or on the grounds somewhere, we have all of the castle staff searching as we speak."

"How do you just lose a princess? Doesn't she have personal guards or something?"

Loke's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. Gray had struck a nerve. "Of course, I look after the princess personally whenever the need arises, but we aren't accustomed to watching her in the safety of her own home."

"Well perhaps if you had taken the extra precautions she wouldn't be missing."

The King's irritated voice split the tension between the two young men. "The fact of the matter is she's missing, nevermind whose fault it is, she must be found at all costs. Loke,"

He straightened up. "Yes, sir."

"I want you to organize a squad of your best, they will find the princess at all costs."

He nodded. "Of course, I'll get on that right away."

"Let me come with you." Gray blurted out as the commander moved toward the door.

He paused and raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me, but I don't see how a prince will be of much help."

Gray bristled. "I wasn't the one incompetent enough to lose the princess."

Loke's eyes seemed to shimmer gold for a moment, dangerous energy crackling in the air as he stepped forward and hissed. "Listen here you little-"

"Enough! Both of you!"

The two young men froze, turning slowly to look at the king and quickly straightening and sobering up at the stern glare he was fixing on both of them.

"Good. Now, prince Fullbuster, seeing as your whole purpose for visiting has been...compromised, perhaps it's best you return home and visit us again once all of this has been sorted. If you so desire."

Gray's mind raced. His kingdom needed allies, strong ones, and as much as he resented Ur and Ultear's idea to form that alliance with Celestia through his and the princess' marriage, he understood why they'd decided to do so. It was the surest way to form a bond that wouldn't be easily broken.

The more ideal match would have been with Lyon since he was the future king, whereas Gray would remain a prince his entire life unless something were to happen to Lyon. But unfortunately for Gray, Lyon was already betrothed.

So the responsibility for securing the future of the kingdom rested on Gray's shoulders. Meaning that if he did end up marrying princess Heartfilia, he'd end up a king anyway.

"Yes...well, perhaps that would be best."

The king nodded. "Very well, I'll have the servants prepare your coach and gather your things. My deepest apologies for this inconvenience."

Gray bowed his head. "Unforeseen circumstances don't warrant an apology your majesty. Perhaps our next meeting, the princess would like to come see my homeland."

"I'm sure she'd be delighted. Thank you for your visit. Loke, if you'd start on those tasks."

He nodded, bowing stiffly to Gray before striding out of the room.

Gray followed him out, calling as he rounded a corner. "Wait up!"

Loke paused, irritated at being kept from his duties but tried to maintain civil. "Yes?"

"What do you think really happened to the princess?"

After a long moment of silence, Loke's shoulders drooped, and he let out a weary sigh as he rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses. "My first instinct says she left of her own free will, but none of her possessions are missing, not even a change of clothing. Lucy's much too sensible to run away without taking clothes, food and money with her."

"Has she ever run away before?"

"No, but to be honest I'm surprised it's taken her this long, if that really is the truth."

Gray's brow furrowed slightly. "Why would she run away?"

Loke shrugged. "Why wouldn't she? Things have never been the same around here since the queen passed away...it's been hard for Lucy, growing up without her."

Gray's chest clenched painfully. Oh yes, he knew that pain all too well. As wonderful a stepmother as Ur was, the lose of his real mother had left a permanent scar that still ached.

"Well...I hope she's found soon, unharmed and this whole matter is resolved."

Loke nodded, his jaw tight. "As do I. Safe travels back home."

"Thanks. See you around."

"One last thing."

Gray paused, turning back around and raising his eyebrows questioningly.

The tall ginger appeared casual, one hand in his pocket as the other reached up and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. But something about his cool manner sent chills down Gray's spine, and coming from someone who could walk through snow drifts in his underwear without flinching was saying something.

"I understand that an alliance through marriage would be mutually beneficial to both our kingdoms, it's a wise diplomatic and strategic move. However..." His eyes met Gray's then, and the younger man almost staggered back at the sheer threat in his hard gaze.

"Lucy is a free spirit, she always has been. She's headstrong, stubborn, imaginative, courageous, and possesses a stronger sense of justice and mercy than I've ever seen. She will make an excellent queen someday. You see," he stepped closer to Gray, his voice soft but no less threatening. "I care about the princess greatly, I've looked out for her practically my entire life, she's a dear friend and a beloved mistress, her happiness and safety are my number one priority. So you can understand why I may have some...doubts about marrying her off to some stranger from another kingdom."

Gray lifted his chin and met Loke's gaze evenly. "I understand your concern. Trust me, this wasn't my idea, and as much as it sucks to be treated like bargaining pieces, I am prepared to do whatever is best for the future of our two kingdoms. And if Lucy and I do marry, I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to make her happy."

Loke stared at him for a long moment, weighing his words and sincerity. "Good. In that case you have my utmost support. Now, I shall let you prepare to depart, and begin organizing my search team."

Gray nodded. "Yes, thank you."

It took him only a few minutes to make it back to his quarters and explain the situation to Ultear, who listened to everything intently before shaking her head gravely.

"I'm afraid that's not the only bad news, I've just received word from mother."

Gray's stomach twisted. "The Wastelanders?"

"They've been picking off our scouts, harassing the lower villages, she thinks they're planning a full scale attack soon."

Gray sighed. "Right. So we would've had to return home anyway."

Ultear nodded. "Precisely. I've made all the arrangements, I leave in a few hours."

"I? What about me?"

"You're not going home, not yet at least."

"Well then what do you want me to do? Sit around here with my thumbs up my ass?"

She smacked him upside the head with a reproving glare. "Watch your mouth before I wash it out with soap. You're heading to a different destination."

Gray, rubbing his head, raised and eyebrow. "Oh? Where?"

"Magnolia."

Lucy woke slowly, the first thought that registered being why did her body ache? Especially her back and feet. Secondly, she shivered and gripped the thin cotton cover tighter around her body.

Wait a minute.

Tentatively peeking one eye open, she gasped and sat bolt upright, mind going blank as she stared directly at a tree trunk.

What was she doing outside? How did she get here? Where was she?

Suddenly the events of the previous night came flooding back to her. The ball, meeting the prince, discovering the mysterious party crasher underneath the food table, her midnight journey to the library and escape out of the castle with said mysterious party crasher. Natsu.

She frowned, trying to piece together what happened after they made it outside the castle walls and into the surrounding village.

They'd run for a while, the excitement from the daring escape pumping adrenaline into her system, temporarily making her forget that she was dressed in only a nightgown. A fact she soon remembered when a sharp rock sliced her foot open once they reached the forest.

Pulling the thin blanket off her, she examined her injured foot to find it wrapped in clean bandages. Had Natsu wrapped it for her?

She vaguely remembered a wave of exhaustion washing over her as Natsu examined her foot, then everything was blank.

"Oh, you're awake!"

Lucy whirled around at the sound, blinking at the sight of Natsu walking into the clearing, arms full of firewood and a cheerful grin on his face.

Now that it was light she could get a good look at him unobstructed by masks, fancy clothes and the cover of night.

He was dressed in simple beige pants and a black vest. He didn't have a shirt on underneath the vest, so his arms and a small triangle slice of his chest were on full display.

Lucy tried not to stare, most of the men she'd been around her whole life were nobles and royalty, all much too proper to bare their arms. Sure she'd seen a few peasants with bare arms every now and then, but none of them were so...well...fit.

He dumped the armload of firewood onto the ground, the loud clatter of wood clearing her mind.

He nudge the wood into a pile with one worn black boot and then brushed his bangs back.

Now that she could see his hair clearly, she confirmed that it was indeed a dusky rose color, and quite long. It was cut shaggy, so although he'd tried to tie it back with a cord, almost a third of it had fallen loose and hung around his ears and into his face.

Those intense green eyes lifted to her, arched brows slightly skewed, giving him an even more roguish appearance. slender nose, defined cheekbones and a sharp jawline ending in a pointed chin...there was no denying the fact that he was very attractive.

Lucy suddenly became very self conscious of the fact that she was dressed in a nightgown, her hair was probably an utter mess and she no doubt had dirt smudged on her face.

"Um...good morning." She tried, smoothing her nightgown distractedly.

He grinned, exposing those unusually pointed canines. "Mornin', sleep well?"

She nodded. "I think so...I don't really remember much about last night. How far did we go?"

He crouched down and began arranging the sticks into some sort of order as he replied. "I dunno, ten miles or so?"

Her eyes widened. "Ten...there's no way we made it that far before I cut my foot!"

He shook his head. "Nah, that was only about four miles out."

She blinked. "Then...how did I get here?"

He looked up, one eyebrows raised curiously. "I carried you of course. Guess you wouldn't remember since you fell asleep almost right away."

Her face flamed with embarrassment, eyes wide. "Y-you...carried...me?"

"Yeah, 'course. You'd hurt your foot and we hadn't made it to my camp yet, what was I supposed to do?" He nonchalantly explained as he worked on the firewood.

Lucy put her hand to her cheek, trying to cool the burning skin and hopefully chase away the blush. Natsu obviously wasn't an expert on etiquette and propriety.

His explanation was so innocent and straightforward. A noble would never have dared to carry a lady so casually, the very notion would send all the courtiers gasping and muttering at the scandal.

And yet somehow...the way Natsu had put it made her realize just how ridiculous her shock was. It's not like the physical contact was...intimate, it was simply practical.

"I got you some clothes by the way, figured that night dress thing wouldn't be great for traveling in." He piped up suddenly, motioning to a bundle of fabric on top of a pack.

"Oh...thank you." Lucy said, slowly standing up. She hissed in pain when she stepped on her injured foot, causing Natsu to shoot to his feet.

"You alright? Need me to help?"

The blush returned and she shook her head quickly. "No thank you...I can manage." She slowly leaned some of her weight on her foot, taking the brunt of the pressure on her heel.

"You sure?" Natsu asked, hands held out slightly as if he was afraid she'd topple over at any moment.

His concern was oddly touching, why did he care so much for someone he just met?

"I think I've got it...I'll let you know if I need any help."

He nodded. "Alright, there's a stream back that way if you'd like to wash your face or anything. Some trees you can stand behind while you're dressing too."

"Okay, I'll be back in a moment." She said, scooping up the clothes as she limped in the direction he'd indicated.

She found the stream without too much trouble, splashing the cool water on her face and neck, washing her arms in the clear liquid. Refreshed, she examined the clothes he'd gathered for her.

With a stutter in her chest and a blush on her cheeks, she realized they were his clothes.

A simple pair of black pants and a loose white shirt, he'd even wrapped a pair of sandals in the bundle, the adjustable straps meaning she'd be able to wear them even if they were a bit big.

As she prepared to dress, she realized suddenly that she didn't have a corset...or any undergarments besides the underwear she'd had on.

Luckily her nightgown was loose enough not to...reveal anything, but what was she supposed to do about the thin white shirt? Unfortunately she had quite a generous bust, so simply wearing the shirt alone was not an option.

Glancing at the nightgown, inspiration struck and she let out a sigh as she began ripping a long strip of fabric off it.

Wrapping the makeshift garment around her chest several times and tying it tightly enough to remain secure, but loose enough not to be constricting, she surveyed her work, and decided it would have to do until she could get some proper undergarments.

She was worried that the pants would be too big, but fortunately her hips were about the same size as Natsu's trim waist, her curved rear helping keep them up.

Once she was properly dressed, she combed her fingers through her hair as best she could and limped back toward the camp.

"You sure do look different when you're not snoring and drooling!"

She shrieked at the sudden high pitched voice, falling onto her rear in surprise as a strange creature popping up in front of her.

"Lucy?" Natsu's call wasn't too far off, the camp must be close.

"Natsu, help!" She screamed, scooting away from the thing in front of her. It had wings whatever it was, and was flying around so quickly she couldn't get a good look at it.

Natsu was there seconds later, glancing from her to her would be attacker. "What's the matter?"

She motioned panickedly at the flying creature. "That!"

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Happy, it's not nice to scare people."

Lucy blinked in surprise when the thing zipped over to Natsu and plopped down onto his head.

"Awwww, I didn't mean to! It's not my fault she's a big baby."

"Hey! I am not!" Lucy said indignantly, scrambling to her feet and glaring at the creature, able to get a good look at it now that it stationary.

It looked almost like a young boy, except it was the size of a cat, had scruffy blue hair, pointed cat-like ears and large, mischievous eyes.

It folded its arms on top of Natsu's head, resting his chin on them as he stared at Lucy, a blue tail rising up and flicking back and forth.

"What...what is that?"

Natsu frowned. "Who, not what. This is Happy, Happy, meet Lucy."

Happy raised his small hand. "Hey, Lucy."

She glanced from Happy to Natsu. "But...what is he?"

Natsu looked confused. "What, you've never seen an exceed before?"

"A what?"

"An exceed, or pixie. Ouch! Happy!" Natsu said, rubbing at where Happy had pulled at his hair.

"We don't like that term!" Happy said poutily.

Natsu shrugged. "Sorry, that's how most people know what you are."

"A...you mean like a fairy?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

"No, fairies are totally different, but I guess we're sort of the same species."

Natsu nodded in agreement. "Exceeds are like the feline equivalent of fairies. I found Happy when he was just a little thing and raised him, we've been buddies ever since, right Happy?"

"Aye sir!"

At Lucy's still baffled face, Natsu frowned. "Say, just how many magic class species have you encountered?"

Lucy shook her head. "None. Not that I know of at least."

Happy snickered. "Man is she going to be in for a shock when we get to Fairy Tail."

"Fairy what? Where is that?"

Natsu grinned. "That's where our adventure is, or where we're headed at least. We'll probably have an adventure or two on the way. It's more commonly known as Magnolia."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Magnolia? But that's...that's miles to the West! You can't even get to it unless you cross the Hargeon sea!"

Natsu's grin widened. "Not if you know how to pass over the Mountains."

Happy nodded. "Aye! We've got a secret short cut!"

Growing serious, Natsu said gently. "I can still take you back home...it's not exactly an easy journey. And if you've never seen any magical species before, well, it might be a little overwhelming."

Lucy's heart was pounding. She'd only ever read about magical creatures and far away lands, her mother telling her stories of all the wonderful things there were in the world. How many times had she dreamed of traveling to those places? Of seeing and experiencing all those wonderful things?

"Can you, I mean...would you please...take me there? I-I want to go."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "More than anything."

The grin was back and he held out his hand. "Then let's go, Lucy! Let's continue our adventure."

Without hesitation, she took his hand.


	3. On the Road

**Hey everyone! Here's part three, thanks for being patient I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **As always I'd LOVE to hear what you think so if you read on tumblr, stick it in the tags, add a comment or even shoot me an ask!  
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 **If you're reading on a review would make my whole week, seriously.  
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 **Quick PSA, I'm leaving for Europe on Sunday for 20 days so I might not be able to update until I get back but I might manage to get one (maaaaybe two) chapters posted so stay tuned.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE: On the Road.**

Grass crunched lightly underneath his boots as he delved deeper into the woods. The canopy overhead provided shade from the midday sun, granting him some comfort on his journey.

Inhaling the fresh air deeply, he shifted the pack slung onto his shoulders and began to hum under his breath.

He didn't really remember where he'd first heard the tune, but it was light and cheerful and had a way of sticking in the mind.

And so he hummed as he walked, keeping an ever watchful eye out for anything out of the ordinary or threatening.

He brushed some stray locks away from his eyes, noting that his dark hair was in desperate need of a cut, he'd have to get that taken care of once he reached his destination. But for now the ragged mop would have to stay.

He absentmindedly toyed with the pendant around his neck, skin brushing against smooth metal and polished gem, fingertips memorizing the runes carved into the metal.

Thoughts wandering, he couldn't help wondering if he'd be successful. He'd been planning this for quite some time, and although he tried to think of every possible outcome, there was always the slim chance that he was missing one vital piece that could ruin everything.

Not that that was very likely of course.

No, the odds were heavily in his favor, he needed only to form one final alliance and then...

His fingers curled around the pendant, feeling the gentle pulse held within the ebony gem.

"It won't be long now." He said quietly to himself. "Soon...we'll meet again."

"How much longer to the village?" Lucy asked, trying to keep her voice from sounding strained.

Natsu had seemingly boundless energy, she found that out quickly when he continued to lope onward after hours of travel, zipping left and right every so often when something caught his attention. Occasionally he'd call her over in hushed excited tones, eyes shining with a childlike excitement as he pointed out a mother doe and her two fawns or some other woodland spectacle.

The man in question paused and turned his head to look back at her, raising his eyebrows. "Well if we hurry we can make it by nightfall."

"But with Princess Slowpoke it'll take all week!" Happy snickered from the top of Natsu's pack.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the feline like fairy. "That's easy for you to say, you have wings."

Happy pouted. "Hey! It's tiring to fly too you know!"

"Not that you would know, you've hardly walked at all, you just let Natsu do that for you."

Happy stuck his tongue out at Lucy and tugged lightly at Natsu's ear, whispering loud enough for her to still hear. "Why do we have to let miss whiny pants tag along with us?"

Natsu flicked his ear lightly. "Give her a break, Happy, she's used to cushy palaces and servants to do stuff for her."

Lucy felt anger and hurt flare in her chest, eyes beginning to burn with the threat of tears. She'd been walking all day, and although it was wonderful to see the forest, the sun was hot, her back hurt from sleeping on the ground, and her foot throbbed painfully.

She'd tried to put on a brave face, but she was scared, excited, but definitely scared. The freedom she always longed for came at the price of leaving everything of her old life behind...including all memory of her mother.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm slowing you down but I've never traveled this much in my life, I've never slept on the ground before so I'm sore, my head hurts from being in the sun all day and my stupid foot feels like it's being stabbed every step I take, but I'm trying my best, okay?"

The tears that had threatened to fall now welled in her eyes and she sniffed and scrubbed at her face, refusing to cry on top of everything.

"Awwww, Lucy, I'm sorry!" Happy said, flying over and nuzzling his head against her cheek. "I didn't know your foot was hurting."

Lucy sniffed again and brushed her fingers over Happy's hair. "It's alright...I'm just a little tired, I'll be fine."

Natsu, who'd remained motionless with a furrowed brow, walked over to Lucy and moved her over to a tree. "Here, sit down."

She obeyed wordlessly, sliding down the trunk until she was sitting with her back resting against the smooth bark, watching as he slid the pack off his shoulders and began to rummage around in it.

"I should change your bandages, Happy, could you look around for some trinia petals?"

"Aye sir!" Happy crowed, saluting before soaring off through the trees.

"Hold still." Natsu instructed, gently taking her ankle into his hands and slipping the sandal off her foot.

Lucy couldn't help the blush that dusted her cheeks as his fingers gently brushed against her skin. His hands looked rough, the calloused skin a dark tan compared to her own ivory complexion, but he was surprisingly gentle, the worn fingers handling her ankle as if she were made of glass.

"This might hurt a little." He said gently as he began unwrapping her bandages.

She hissed in pain as the bloody bandage peeled away from her injured skin.

"Sorry." Natsu apologized, wincing as if he were the one in pain.

"I-it's alright…" Her breathing hitched, and she blamed it on the pain, not at the way Natsu was gently caressing her skin, carefully examining the wound, his brows drawn in concentration.

"It's swelled, but the bleeding's stopped for the most part, although it does look pretty inflamed...I shouldn't have made you walk so much."

"It's really not that bad, I was just being dramatic." Lucy tried with a strained laugh, trying to erase the guilt in his eyes.

He raised his eyebrows. "I can't believe you didn't say anything before this." A small smirk lifted one corner of his lips. "You're tougher than you look, Luce."

She blinked in surprise, but before she could ask him about the nickname, Happy flew back into the clearing, some pale blue flowers clutched in his hands.

"Found some, Natsu!"

He grinned and retrieved the blossoms from Happy. "Awesome! Thanks little buddy."

"What are those for?"

Natsu began stripping petals from the flowers as he responded. "Well, normally they'd be just some pretty flowers to give to a pretty girl, but I'm afraid I'll have to give you flowers some other time, I need these to make a poultice for your foot."

She watched with curiosity as he pulled something out of his pack, a dark red goop that he mixed with the flower petals that he'd crushed, forming a purple paste.

"What is that stuff?" Lucy asked as he began to apply the poultice to her foot, motioning to the small jar that was now only half full of red glop.

"Huh? Oh that? Just some coagulated hydra blood."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What?" She squeaked. "You're putting monster blood on my foot?!"

He chuckled as he began to wrap bandages back around her foot. "Relax, its venom is in a different jar. Hydra blood has healing properties, paired with the trinia petals and your foot should be almost completely healed by morning."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? That's amazing. Where'd you get it though? Something like that must be really expensive." She gasped as a thought struck her. "Please tell me you didn't steal it."

He frowned at her. "I'm not a thief."

She snorted. "Sure, that's why you most definitely weren't stealing something the other night."

"I wasn't. And I killed the Hydra. It tried to eat Happy."

"Yeah, that creepy snake thing had awful breath!" Happy said in disgust, wrinkling his tiny nose.

"You...killed it? All by yourself?" She said in disbelief.

He looked slightly offended. "What? Is that so hard to believe?"

She shook her head. "No! Well...I don't know, I've never really seen much violence, but I've heard Hydras are extremely dangerous and nearly impossible to kill because they keep regrowing their heads."

"Not if you burn the stumps before it has a chance to regenerate." Natsu said matter-of-factly as he secured her bandages. "There, you should be set." He offered her a hand and helped her up. "How's it feel?"

She tested her weight gingerly on her injured feet, face lighting up when it was barely sore. "Good, better than good, the pain is practically gone."

He grinned. "Awesome, ready to go then? If we make it to the village before dark we can check into an inn so you won't have to sleep on the ground."

Lucy's eyes practically sparkled. "Really? Then let's get started!"

Natsu laughed when she began striding off, on the verge of speed walking.

"Man, she sure is weird." Happy murmured.

"Yeah...she'll fit right in at Fairy Tail." Natsu said with a small smile as he started after the blonde.

"How do you think she'll react to everyone?" Happy asked curiously. "If she was so surprised to see me…"

Natsu frowned slightly. "I've been thinking about that...but, I think she'll be okay."

"When are you going to tell her about you?"

Natsu glanced sideways at the exceed flying beside his head. "What about me?"

Happy rolled his eyes. "You know what. She said she didn't think she'd met any magical class creatures before."

Natsu snorted. "Yeah right, just 'cause she didn't know they were magic doesn't mean they weren't. I smelled at least three Celestials in the palace, and if they were there, it means a Stellarian was there too."

"Still...you know the kind of reputation your species has."

His eyes darkened. "Yeah, I know, why do you think I keep it under wraps? Even if it's not my species directly...people have a way of not waiting for explanations." He glanced at the small fairy. "Don't worry...I'll find a way to tell her."

"Better do it soon, I don't think she'd like you to keep secrets from her."

Natsu nodded. "I will."

"Come on, slowpokes! I can practically feel that hot bath already!" Lucy called back to them, shooting them a cheeky smile.

Natsu grinned and jogged until he caught up to her. "You'll have to arm wrestle me to use the bath first, I'm pretty sure I haven't had a proper bath a lot longer than you have."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh yeah? Well I'll have you know that I'm a lot stronger than I look."

Natsu raised one eyebrow, lifting his arm and flexing his bicep nonchalantly. "I am too." He smirked at her as he pat his knotted muscle. "Which is saying something."

Lucy looked away quickly, cheeks threatening to turn pink. He could probably snap her arm in half without even trying.

"Don't worry about it, I'll let you bathe first." Natsu said offhandedly. "Besides, you're starting to smell."

Lucy gasped and smacked his shoulder. "I am not! And you're one to talk!"

He threw his head back and laughed, poking her cheek that she'd puffed out in annoyance. "Aw come on, I'm just teasing you. I'm actually surprised you don't smell bad by now. Must be all those fancy soaps, what is that, vanilla? And...mint?"

Lucy's face really turned red now. "H-how did you do that?"

He shrugged. "I've got a good nose. No need to look embarrassed, it smells good. Come on, there's a road just up ahead."

She rolled her eyes. Right, she wasn't supposed to feel embarrassed when a young man told her she smelled good. And even with a good nose how had he known what scent her soap was? She quickly sniffed her arm. Even with her nose pressed against her skin she could barely make out the scent through the smell of forest.

How on earth had he smelled it? They hadn't even gotten that close to each other.

"Hey! Maybe we can hitch a ride and get to the village in time for dinner!" Happy chirped.

"Oh man, I'm starving!" Natsu commented, placing a hand to his stomach for emphasis.

Lucy laughed. "I get the feeling you're always starving."

He grinned. "True, you must be hungry too though, we haven't eaten anything all day."

Now that he mentioned it, she did have an empty-feeling pit in her stomach, and as if on cue it gave off a loud rumble.

Natsu snorted as he tried to hold in his laughter, stopping abruptly when his stomach practically roared in response.

There was a moment of silence, and then all three of them erupted into fits of laughter.

Once they got their mirth back under control, they set off once again for the village in earnest, eager to arrive in time to grab a quick dinner before checking into an inn.

It took them another few hours, but just before sundown they entered the bustling little village.

Natsu and Happy had passed through this particular town before, and so they made a beeline for their favorite restaurant, giving Lucy extremely vivid descriptions about the food and how wonderful it was, causing her mouth to water and her stomach to rumble louder and louder with each step. It didn't help when they were finally seated and had to sit and smell the food cooking as they waited for their meals to be prepared.

Once their food arrived, Lucy could barely eat because she was too busy watching in horrified fascination as Natsu and his small exceed consumed enough food to feed the entire Celestia army...and then some.

She quickly snapped out of her daze and hurriedly gobbled down her own meal when Happy off-handedly asked if she was going to finish her soup. There was no way she was sacrificing her meal for the two gluttons that were her companions.

Natsu's blissfully contented expression disappeared faster than his meal had when he saw the bill, and he gave a pitiful whine as he began counting out the money from his coin purse.

Lucy almost felt bad for him, but with a shake of her head she stated that he had to pay a price for his enormous appetite. Literally.

"So what Inn are we staying at?" Lucy asked as they exited the restaurant with a considerably lighter coin purse.

"Well, I'm pretty sure there's only a few, and just one on this side of town. Let's hope they've got some vacancies." He grinned at Happy. "Man, I can't even remember the last time I slept in a proper bed!"

Lucy smiled at his excitement, finding herself strangely comforted by the happy light in his eyes.

How had she only known him for barely two days? It felt as if they'd always known each other. Being around him, laughing and talking with him, it felt natural, it felt...right somehow, as if they were always meant to know each other.

She felt cheated not getting the chance to meet him sooner.

"Here it is!" Natsu cheered, darting inside the cozily lit building.

Lucy followed after him, the strain of the day finally beginning to take its toll on her. She couldn't wait for a hot bath and good night's rest.

"What do you mean I can only have one room? I need two!" Natsu cried, hands planted on top of the front desk.

The clerk sniffed and adjusted his vest. "I'm sorry sir, but you only have enough money for one room."

Natsu growled in frustration, and scratched at his head absentmindedly. Glancing back at Lucy, he relaxed slightly and took a deep breath, turning back to the clerk, he dumped the remaining contents of his money purse onto the counter. "Fine, we'll take it. But the bath water had better be _hot._ "

"Of course, enjoy your stay." The clerk said, handing Natsu the key.

Natsu glanced back at Lucy and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, looks like we're sharing a room tonight."

Lucy felt her cheeks heating up and she cursed how easily she blushed. "It's fine! I mean...it's not like we had separate rooms in the woods, right?" She said quickly.

His face lit up. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, he said the bath should be ready when we get to the room."

With a sharp tug at the reins, Gray halted his horse's progress, bending over to give the ebony steed's sweaty neck a firm pat.

"Good boy, let's take a breather." He murmured, lifting his head to survey the forest.

If memory served him correctly, there should be a lake somewhere near by, the ideal spot to rest and water his horse.

He'd left soon after his talk with Ultear, both setting off together before splitting off once they reached the outskirts of Celestia's outlying villages.

He'd ridden hard all day, stopping only when it grew too dark to safely travel. Rising at daybreak, he'd set off again, only stopping every now and then so as not to wear his horse out. Although the stallion was young and strong, born and bred from the bloodline reserved only for Frostfell's royalty, their kingdom was renowned for their well bred horses.

His father had gifted him the black colt when he turned fifteen, the same year he was murdered by bandits.

They'd attacked their party on the way home from retrieving Gray's present, eager to snatch the prize horses.

Gray had blamed the colt for his father's death, refusing to even look at the beast for months after the incident.

It was Ur who made him realize the colt was a gift, a memory and reminder of his father's love.

Now, five years later, he and Deliora were practically inseparable.

"What do you say, boy? Up for a refreshing drink?"

As if responding, Deliora shook his mane and let out a whinny.

Gray smiled slightly. "That's what I thought, come on." Turning to the right slightly, he urged the stallion forward and before too long saw the glint of sunshine off water through the trees.

Pausing atop the gentle slope down to the lake, Gray took a moment to enjoy the breathtaking view.

As beautiful as his home was, nearly eternal snow and ice could become a tad droll. This lush greenery, the bright sunshine and sound of insects and birds, the gentle warm breeze that ruffled through his hair, the flowers that dotted the ground like bright jewels, it truly was wonderful.

It took him only a few minutes to reach the lake's edge where he dismounted and looked around, absentmindedly stroking Deliora's neck.

Slipping the bridal off the horse's neck, he looped it around the saddle and let him water and graze, knowing a simple whistle would bring the horse bolting to his side.

slipping off his boots and socks, he began to roll up his pant legs, wincing as the sun continued to beat down on him.

Used to the arctic temperatures of his homeland, he tended to get overheated quite easily, which accounted for his unusual habit of stripping. He didn't even realize he was doing it half the time, it was just instinct to cool down by removing clothing.

Although, try explaining that to the scandalized duchess you inherently scarred.

Yes, his inconvenient habit had gotten him into uncomfortable situations more than once.

Peeling his shirt over his head, he stretched his shoulders and waded into the lake shallows, bending over to splash the cool water on the back of his neck and face.

Deliora whinnied behind him, happily munching on the sweet grass, idly flicking away flies with his sleek tail.

Gray smiled at him before turning back to the lake.

He froze, half crouched down, water dripping from the tips of his hair and sliding down his back, eyes locked on a figure standing just a few yards away from him.

His eyes widened, shock registering on his face as he looked at the silhouette before him.

"It's you…" He straightened up slowly, not wanting to make any sudden moves and startle them. "How...what are you doing here? Did you follow me?"

The figure seemed to glide closer, allowing him to get a closer look at them.

She was just as he remembered, long, flowing hair that shimmered and moved like sunlight on water, the color seemed to shift like the ocean, making it hard to distinguish just what shade of blue it really was.

Her wide eyes were framed by thick lashes, the deep irises a mesmerizing shade of indigo.

She shifted slightly, the slip of a dress she was wearing clung wetly to her slender body, made of some material he couldn't place, but it almost looked like fish skin. The hem was jagged and uneven, allowing her long shapely legs to peak out into the sunlight, water droplets glinting on the pale skin.

"Who are you?" He tried again, wary of the mysterious woman. "I...I saw you, back in Frostfell, I thought it was a dream. What are you doing here? What do you want?"

Her brows furrowed ever so slightly, tilting her head to the side as she blinked at him.

"Can you speak?" He asked, suddenly wondering if she was mute.

Delicate fingertips reached up to brush across her full lower lip, face pinched in confusion, as if she was trying to figure out how to use her mouth.

"Do...do you need help?" Gray attempted hesitantly, suddenly unsure of what to do. "My name is Gray, Gray Fullbuster. Do you need help getting somewhere?"

Her eyes shimmered, expression almost dreamy. "G-Gray…"

His breath stuck in his throat at the sound of her voice, light and musical. The way she said his name...almost like a prayer, it was…

Realization suddenly dawned on him, and he staggered backwards, heading for his sword which he'd left at the lake's edge. "D-don't come any closer!"

Anguish washed over her face at his sudden change of mood, her hand reaching forward as if asking him to stay.

"Stay back, nymph! Don't try anything." He warned, drawing his sword and holding it protectively in front of him.

She frowned, suddenly looking irritated. "Gray!" She said his name reproachfully, like a mother scolding a naughty child.

He shook his head. "Stop! Don't say anything else!"

She tapped her throat and shook her head.

"What? You're saying you can't charm with your voice?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, right. Like I'd believe you, siren, you're just trying to catch me off guard so you can drown me."

"No!" She protested, stamping her foot in the water, causing the surface to churn dangerously.

He'd have to be careful, water nymphs could control water with deadly applications.

"Just...just stay where you are, I'll leave your lake, alright? I'm sorry for disturbing your home."

"Wait! No!" She cried, still sounding unsure of her voice. "Not Juvia's home!"

He paused. "Juvia...is that your name?"

She nodded.

"You don't...live in the lake?"

She shook her head.

"But…" He frowned. "That's impossible, nymphs are bound to their home source."

She shook her head. "No."

"No what? You're not bound?"

Another nod.

"How?"

She hesitated, then tried tentatively. "Choose...land, Juvia is mortal, she wanted to follow Gray." A light blush dusted her cheeks and she looked away shyly.

Suddenly flustered, Gray hurriedly tugged his shirt back on over his head as he stammered. "W-what? You're saying you left your home source and chose to become mortal just to follow me around? Why?"

Her eyes met his again. "Juvia saw Gray save that little boy...he was so brave, Juvia had never seen a human like that before...she wanted to see more."

He blinked, thinking back to when he'd rescued a small child from drowning after he'd fallen through the ice. That had been several months ago...had she followed him all this time?

"L-look...as much as I'm flattered, you need to return home."

"Juvia can't go back."

"I can take you to the nearest village and give you some money so you can rent a carriage to take you back to wherever-"

"No, Juvia _can't_ go back...Juvia _chose_ land...she is mortal now."

The full force of her words sunk in, and a sick feeling twisted in his gut. She'd left the water...forever. She could never return to her immortal form. Never go back home. All because of him.

"But...why? You're mortal now! You can be hurt and you'll die, why would you choose that?"

She bit her lip. "Juvia wants...she wants to learn more about humans...she wants to... _feel._ Gray was the first human that made Juvia _feel_ something...feel human."

That's right. Gray thought. Nymphs were incapable of real emotion, they entertained themselves by luring people into the water and drowning them, or bickered with each other, but could never experience any real depth of feeling.

And yet...when Juvia witnessed the selfless bravery he displayed when he saved that boy...she'd felt something.

She'd abandoned immortality just for the chance to feel human. The idea seemed ridiculous, but deep down it moved Gray.

"Oh." He said simply.

She blushed and played with a lock of hair distractedly. "J-Juvia hadn't planned on following Gray...but," Her eyes suddenly looked up and locked on his. "She has something she needs to tell Gray."

He frowned slightly, taken aback by her sudden seriousness. "What?"

"Juvia saw bad men...she heard them talking."

Despite the heat of the day, an icy chill ran down his spine. "What did you hear?"

"They said they were bringing something to Gray's home."

"What were they bringing? Juvia what is it?"

"War."


	4. Hallelujah, Pillows

**CHAPTER FOUR: Hallelujah, Pillows.**

Natsu and Lucy stood just inside their room, Natsu's hand still on the handle.

They stared in silence at the room before them, awkwardness hung in the air as they both thought the same thing.

 _There's only one bed..._

"Yay!" Happy cheered, zipping over to the small chair in the corner, plopping down onto the cushioned seat and sighing contentedly. Then he lifted his head and looked back at his two companions. "Natsu, look! Pillows!"

Temporarily distracted, Natsu's eyes lit up and he let out a cry of delight before darting over to the bed and burying his face in one of the oversized pillows, his gleeful chortles muffled by the fluffy down.

Lucy smiled in amusement at his antics and turned to examine the rest of the room.

To her right there was a washstand and large claw foot tub which was filled with steaming bathwater, a definite highlight to the evening.

Up against the wall stood a folded screen which could provide some privacy while bathing. Still though...as ready as Lucy was for a hot bath, she wasn't too eager on stripping naked and bathing while there was a young man in the same room. The screen would only provided a little protection from curious eyes.

"Um...Natsu?" She called over her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Did you tell the owner that we weren't, um...well..." She trailed off, too embarrassed to finish the sentence.

"Weren't what?" He queried, suddenly appearing behind her.

Turning to face him, Lucy found it was even more difficult to finish the sentence with him standing right in front of her, eyes wide in questioning. "Uh, well, you know." She stammered, waving her hand in a flustered manner.

He blinked. "Uh...no, that's why I asked." Tilting his head to the side slightly, one eyebrow quirked up as his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "You're cheeks are red..." Realization dawned on his face as he glanced from Lucy's flustered face to the single bed. "Oh, you think he assumed we were a couple or somethin'? Huh, guess that would explain why he didn't give us a room with two beds." Turning back to her, he shrugged apologetically. "Sorry."

She shook her head. "No, it's alright, it's not your fault."

He frowned slightly. "Yeah but I didn't have enough money for a bigger room anyway, guess I'll have to think of some way to get more cash." Narrowed eyes flicked sideways toward her. "And before you say anything I am _not_ gonna steal. Don't know where you came up with that ridiculous idea anyway." He grumbled to himself.

"You broke into my home and were rummaging around the treasure room in the middle of the night! What was I supposed to think?" Lucy defended irritably.

"Okay fine, but in my defense I wasn't even in the treasure room."

She frowned. "Then what-"

"Celestia's got the largest source of information in the Northern continent."

"Information? About what?"

Something shifted in his eyes, and for a moment Lucy glimpsed something dark in their emerald depths. But it was gone as soon as it came and his gaze shifted behind her.

"You'd better bathe before that water gets cold. The hot bath should help your sore muscles."

Lucy decided her immediate needs outweighed her curiosity, and nodded in agreement. "Right. Um...one problem." She motioned to the folding screen. "That's the only form of privacy..."

He glanced at the screen. "Oh."

For the first time since she met him, Lucy saw just a hint of embarrassment flicker in his eyes.

"Uh...well, I could, you know...step out for a bit?" He said, suddenly avoiding eye contact.

"I think it'd be fine if you just...kept your back to the screen while I was bathing?" Lucy said, trying to keep her face from burning any hotter in embarrassment.

Natsu raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that. That'd work."

He quickly moved the screen in front of the tub since it was too heavy for Lucy to move, and then plopped down with his back resting against the wooden slats. "That okay?"

"Uh yeah, that should be fine just...don't turn around."

"Sorry I don't have any clean clothes you can change into." He apologized as the sound of fabric sliding to the floor reached his ears.

"It's alright, I can make do with these for now. Thank you by the way, for lending me them."

"No problem."

Silence fell on the room, Natsu's sensitive ears picking up the sound of her sliding into the water, a relieved exhale echoing in the quiet, as she sank into the hot water.

"Where's Happy?" She questioned suddenly.

"Asleep on the chair, poor little guy's all worn out." Natsu answered with a chuckle. Realizing that they'd slipped into hushed tones unintentionally. The atmosphere was peaceful, comfortable, but there was a slight...something in the air, Natsu couldn't quite place it, but he could sense it.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy suddenly asked, the water rippling as she shifted.

"Hmm?"

Lucy bit her lip, fingers absentmindedly rubbing against the smooth side of the tub as she tried to put her thoughts into words.

"Yeah, Lucy?" Natsu asked, prompted to respond again after her silence in case she hadn't heard him.

"It's funny, isn't it? I feel like I've known you forever but...I know nothing about you." She laughed softly and slipped her arm back under the warm water. "I guess I really don't know much about anything beyond Celestia."

There was silence in the room for a few long moments, then his deep voice said almost too quiet to hear. "Magnolia is my home, but I don't know where I was born or who my parents were, my real ones at least."

"You were adopted?"

"Yeah." He fell silent, giving Lucy the impression that it was difficult for him to talk about personal things.

In an effort to even out their knowledge, she responded softly. "My mom died when I was seven."

"Oh...I'm sorry, you must miss her."

"I do. A lot. They told me she had been sick and passed away suddenly but...I think something happened to her. My dad closed off completely and became so overprotective and paranoid. In the end it was like I lost both my parents." She smiled ruefully. "So in a way I guess we're both like orphans, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Wanting to turn to more cheerful subjects, Lucy asked. "So, what's Magnolia like?" She could hear his voice brighten as he replied.

"Oh man, it's the greatest place in the world...well, at least the greatest place I've ever been to. The sun shines almost all the time, puffy white clouds and blue sky and everything, at the end of summer the rainbow Sakura trees bloom and the petals glow and all fly off into the air. The rivers and lakes glitter like diamonds, flowers grow everywhere. The people are all so friendly and inviting you feel like...like you're home."

She turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. He sounded...sad. "That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah...it is."

The longing in his voice made her wonder something all of the sudden, and hesitantly she voiced her thoughts out loud. "How long has it been since you were home?"

There was a long stretch of silence, Lucy quickly regretting asking such a personal question.

"Too long." He murmured, raising his voice ever so slightly so she could hear him clearly. "You know, I don't even remember. It's been at least a year, maybe more." He sighed and rested his head against the screen.

Lucy was surprised when he continued, especially since he was sharing such personal feelings with her.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure if I'll be welcomed back. I didn't exactly tell anyone I was leaving, I just...left." He laughed under his breath. "Everyone's probably glad to be rid of me."

"That's not true!" Lucy interrupted, her voice reproachful. "I may not know these people, but I know that you're a kind and fun person and anyone would be lucky to call you their friend. A-and I'm sure they're all waiting for you to come home and have been worried about you."

She sank lower into the tub, her face nearly melting off from her ramble. She hadn't exactly meant to say all those things, but she definitely meant every word.

She was startled when he suddenly started laughing, the deep rumble echoing around the room.

"You sure are weird, Luce."

She puffed her cheeks out irritably, about to reply when his voice said gently.

"Thank you."

A different kind of warmth seeped into her cheeks, the smallest of smiles hovering over her lips as they sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

"So what do you want from life?"

She raised her eyebrows slightly. "I, uh...I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

Natsu hummed pensively, and then tried again. "What are your dreams made of?"

Lucy blinked. "My dreams?"

"Yeah, what makes life worth living? I've been curious, you know, ever since I saw you at that dance thingy-"

"You mean my birthday party?"

"Yeah, whatever, anyway I was saying that when I first saw you, you looked..."

Lucy turned her head to glance at him, curiosity tugging at her. "I looked...?" She prompted.

"Empty."

The small, simple word hit Lucy with a mind shattering force, a thousand thoughts and emotions surging to the forefront of her mind, all scrabbling for attention.

Natsu's observation had hit far too close to home, and the walls she had spent years carefully constructing all crumbled away like ash.

Because the truth of the matter was, she hadn't been happy since her mother died, she had been sad for a while, and the loss still hurt, but over time she got used to the pain until she couldn't remember what it was like not to have it weighing on her heart.

She had been living, sure, but she hadn't felt alive in years.

"But then when you found me underneath that food table," he continued with a small chuckle. "With your pinched eyebrows and indignant comments, I saw something in you, something I missed at first glance."

Lucy sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. "Oh? What did you see?"

He turned his head ever so slightly, his voice full of warmth. "A spark, kind of like a glowing ember in your eyes, a hint that there was more than just a pretty princess hiding in you."

"I want to write stories." She blurted after a short pause, confidence surging through her. "I want to share all the adventures in my head with other people, to share the feeling of losing yourself in a good story, to give people hope...that's what my dream is."

"That's a good dream." Natsu murmured.

A sudden yawn took Lucy by surprise, the warmth of the bathwater combined with the late hour and quiet atmosphere had done a little too good job of relaxing her.

"Tired?" Natsu questioned at the sound of her yawn.

"I suppose so." Lucy said with a light laugh. "I guess I didn't even realize it." She shifted, turning halfway around as she warned. "Alright, I'm getting out now, I'll tell you when I'm dressed."

"Okay." He responded casually.

Stepping out of the tub, Lucy toweled off and slipped back into her panties, slipping Natsu's white shirt over her head before rubbing the moisture from her hair.

Realizing that his shirt hung down almost to her knees, she decided it would be more comfortable to sleep just in that.

Although it was far from decent, Natsu had already seen her in her nightgown.

"You decent?"

Lucy let out a hushed giggle. "Not by the standards for a princess, but yes, I'm covered."

He stood up and stretched lazily before turning around, eyebrows rising nearly imperceptibly for a moment when he saw her. "Uh if it's alright with you I'm gonna just hop in the bath real quick before bed."

Lucy nodded. "Sure. The water isn't very hot anymore though...sorry."

He grinned. "Nah it's fine, I'll get it warmed up just fine." Before she could ask what he meant, he gestured over his shoulder. "Go on and take the bed, I got the floor."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What? No! I'm not letting you sleep on the floor."

He snorted. "Well I sure as hell ain't making you crash on the ground when there's a perfectly good bed available. 'Sides, I'm used to sleeping on the floor, I'll be just fine."

Lucy crossed her arms. "No, that's ridiculous, you payed for the room, you sleep in the bed."

"Nope, I may not look like it, but I've got enough manners not to let a lady sleep on the floor."

She growled in frustration. "Fine! Then we'll both sleep on the bed!"

His eyebrows shot up. "Eh?"

She motioned toward the furniture in question. "It's plenty big enough for the both of us, with room to spare even."

He scratched the back of his head. "My knowledge of proper etiquette might be a tad rusty, but I'm pretty sure it's considered indecent for us to share a bed."

She crossed her arms defiantly. "Since when do you care about proper etiquette?" Lifting her chin and quirking one eyebrow up challengingly, she said. "Do you have a different solution?"

He exhaled in a huff and shook his head. "No."

"So it's settled then."

He shrugged. "Alright, I'll sleep on top of the covers though, I don't get cold too easily so it won't be a problem."

"Whatever makes you comfortable, I'm going to turn in then."

Reaching up and pulling the cord tied at the back of his head, causing his wild hair to tumble free, he shot Lucy a grin. "I'll try not to wake you when I climb into bed."

Caught off guard by seeing his hair down for the first time, Lucy blinked and nodded before turning and walking to the bed.

She hadn't realized quite how long his hair really was. The front hung down just below his jaw, and the back stretched almost to his shoulders. The short ragged layers gave the illusion of it being shorter when it was tied back.

There was something undeniably wild about her traveling companion, and perhaps it should have made her uneasy, but the more time she spent with him the more comfortable she felt in his presence.

He had kind eyes and an even kinder heart, wrapped up in mischief and a deep seeded need for adventure, she knew that much just from the short time they'd spent together.

The bed felt impossibly good as she sank into it, a blissful sigh fluttering from her lips as she snuggled up underneath the blankets, her body instantly relaxing into the soft mattress.

The faint sound of water rippling reached her ears as Natsu bathed, a smile tugging at the side of her mouth when she caught snatches of a tune he was quietly humming.

She had just started to fall asleep when she felt the mattress tip slightly as his weight settled beside her, the movement stirring her briefly.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" He whispered.

"I hadn't fallen asleep yet." She mumbled in response.

"Oh okay."

Lucy could smell the soap he had used, fresh and subtly floral, was that lavender? She'd used the vanilla scented soap that had been placed by the tub, she hadn't seen any other bars, which made her wonder if maybe Natsu carried a bar of soap around with him. It didn't seem too likely, but he was full of surprises.

Heat radiated pleasantly from where his steady breathing could be heard, his natural body temperature turning the air around them into an even more comfortable atmosphere. Her body seemed to melt away as she slipped closer and closer to the inviting darkness coaxing her mind into slumber.

Vaguely she registered the deep rumble of Natsu's voice, not able to register distinguishable words.

"Hmm?" She hummed, feeling him shift onto his side before the sweet abyss finally swallowed her.

"There's uh...somethin' you should know. About me...uh- Lucy?" Natsu's sharp eyes settled on her face, blinking when he realized she'd just fallen asleep.

Grinning slightly, he studied the peaceful expression on her face for a few moments.

"Ah well, I guess it can wait until tomorrow. Let's hope I'll still have the guts to tell you." He let out a sigh, rolled into his stomach, and quickly followed Lucy down into the realm of slumber, murmuring just before sleep claimed him. "Night, Lucy."


	5. Restless Nights and Restless Feet

**Chapter Five: Restless Nights and Restless Feet.**

* * *

Gray started, blinking blearily as he struggled to sit up and identify what had woke him.

"Juvia?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to focus them in the darkened forest.

Deliora whinnied, letting out a snort as he shook his mane. He seemed at ease, so there wasn't any immediate danger.

"Gray should be sleeping."

He strained to catch sight of her in the darkness, finding that she somehow seemed to melt into whatever atmosphere she was in.

"I was, something woke me."

"Juvia is sorry, I was afraid you would be cold. The night has a chill in the air."

Gray looked down and noticed the blanket draped over his hips. "Oh...um, thank you. I don't really get cold though, being from the North I'm kind of used to cold weather."

He finally spotted her, sitting with her back to a tree not far from him. As he watched, her figure seemed to ripple, form appearing to warp before re-materializing. The dappled moonlight and shadows from the overhead canopy creating light patterns across her skin like sunlight on the surface of a lake.

"Oh...Juvia didn't know."

The sadness in her voice tugged at his chest and he cleared his throat. "It's alright, really. Thank you for being so considerate."

She brightened up, smiling shyly.

"Can you not sleep?" He questioned.

She shrugged. "Juvia is not used to being mortal...nymphs don't really need sleep so…"

Gray nodded. "Are you cold?"

She shrugged again.

Rising onto his feet, he took the blanket she had laid over him and walked over to drape it around her shoulders. "You should try and get some sleep, we've got a long way to go tomorrow."

Juvia seemed to shrink down into the blanket, her chin tucked down into the thick fabric. "Where are we going? Back to your home?"

He shook his head. "No, as much as I want to help my country at the moment, I have a mission that needs to be accomplished first. We're going to Magnolia, I need to negotiate an alliance with them, their forces could help us turn the tide of the coming war."

Juvia nodded. "Magnolia is very far, across the ocean."

Gray let out a sigh. "I know...I'm afraid by the time I travel there, negotiate, and return, it'll already be too late."

Juvia stretched one pale hand out from underneath the blanket, placing it lightly on his arm. "We can do it. Juvia believes in Gray."

He smiled slightly. "Thank you." Clearing his throat, he straightened up and dusted off his pants. "You should try and sleep."

She nodded, snuggling deeper down into the blanket. "Alright...goodnight, Gray."

"Goodnight."

Lucy found herself slowly registering things. Consciousness creeping into her sleeping mind.

She was so warm, the sheets felt smooth underneath her bare legs, her heartbeat was slow and steady still from sleep.

Curling her body slightly, her legs brushed something, and she froze.

Thoughts clicked into place and the events of the previous night filtered into her brain.

Natsu. He was in bed with her.

She peeked an eye open, surprised to see it was still night out, the nearly full moon casting a silvery light into the room and dimly illuminating everything.

Natsu had gone to be shirtless, dressed only in a pair of loose shorts. He was curled on his side, back facing Lucy.

She was just starting to roll over and try to fall back asleep when she noticed that he was shaking slightly.

Pulling the folded blanket off the end of the bed, she was about to cover him when she saw the expression on his sleeping face.

His jaw was locked, muscles jumping as he ground his teeth together. Narrow brows were bunched together and pulled low over his eyes. His lips twitched, curling back in a pained grimace.

Was he...having a nightmare?

"P-please...I'm- don't...so-sorry...I'm sorry...don't leave…" He choked out, body still shaking.

The sight and sound of his distress caused Lucy's heart to clench painfully.

"Natsu-"

"Don't bother trying to wake him up." A small voice murmured.

She turned her head, looking in surprise at Happy. The small exceed landed on the bed beside her, looking at his friend with sorrowful eyes.

"He has nightmares a lot...I've tried to wake him up before, but it doesn't usually end well. He's really hard to wake up, and he can be violent if he's half awake and still dreaming."

Lucy glanced back at the young man. "Why...why does he have nightmares?"

Happy shrugged. "I think he dreams about his past. He doesn't really have any memories from before he was five or six years old. I think deep down he still remembers what happened, but it was so awful that his mind blocks it off."

"I-I don't...I don't want to- d-don't make...please…" Natsu pleaded, tears leaking from between his tightly shut eyelids.

"Is...isn't there anything we can do?" Lucy asked, feeling her own eyes well with tears. She'd had her own share of nightmares after her mother died.

"Not really...I've tried talking to him about it before, but he hardly ever remembers what he dreamed about, and I don't really want him to remember." Happy sighed and nuzzled his nose against Natsu's shoulder before returning to his chair and curling back up. "Just try to fall back asleep, he should calm down in a little bit."

Silence fell back on the room, except for Natsu's quiet whimpers and mutterings.

Lucy tried to decipher some sort of meaning from the jumbled words but couldn't piece anything together.

She hated seeing him in so much pain, it physically hurt her chest to see him so distraught. The cocky young man was replaced by a terrified little boy, and it was heartbreaking.

Hesitantly reaching forward, she brushed her fingers across his forehead and through his hair, gently whispering soothing things to him.

"Shhh, Natsu, it's just a dream. You're safe, everything is alright, sleep now."

She continued to stroke his hair and murmur to him, watching with relief as his muscles relaxed and he let out a quiet sigh, the pain seeping away from his face.

Even after he'd slipped back into a deep sleep, she continued to softly brush her fingers through his hair, surprised at how soft the salmon locks were. Eventually falling back asleep, curled up against his back.

When she awoke the next morning, the bed was lacking Natsu's warm body, but the covers placed snugly around her body replaced his warmth.

Blinking and rubbing her eyes sleepily, she let out a yawn as she sat up, looking around the room, frowning when she noticed the lack of her two traveling companions.

All of their stuff was still here, so they must be somewhere close by. More than likely getting breakfast somewhere.

Hurriedly getting dressed and tying her back in a braid, she made her way to the front desk.

"Um, excuse me, did you happen to see a pink haired young man and a blue haired exceed pass by earlier?" She inquired at the front desk.

The clerk leaned against the counter and nodded. "Yes ma'am! They passed through here a couple hours ago, said if you woke up before they got back to tell you that they'd be down at the harbor."

Lucy frowned slightly. "The harbor? Do you know where exactly?"

He shrugged. "My guess would be down by QC, ask any of the sailors down there, they'll show you where it is."

She nodded. "Alright, thank you, we'll be back to collect our stuff soon."

He waved a hand dismissively and turned back to the book he had been reading. "Sure, take your time."

It didn't take Lucy too long to find the harbor, following the smell of the sea and sound of a busy dock.

She'd visited the ocean side once or twice when she was pretty young, back before her mother passed away. Those were happy days, playing on the beach with her smiling parents.

Seeing the sparkling blue water brought with it waves of bittersweet memories, and she smiled fondly as she watched the sun beams bounce off the surface of the water.

Remembering her original intent, she approached a sailor who was mending a net on the edge of the dock.

"Um, excuse me?"

He looked up, raising one bushy eyebrow. "Eh? What can I 'elp you with missy?"

"Can you tell me where, uh- QC is?"

Both caterpillar eyebrows rose at that, small sea glass blue eyes blinked at her in surprise. "QC, huh? What would a pretty little thing like you be wantin' with a place like that?"

She blinked, doubt creeping into her mind. "I-I'm looking for a friend?"

Realization seemed to dawn on his face, and he nodded, looking her over with slight disapproval. "Ah. Well then, it's over that-a-way." He motioned over his shoulder. "You'll know you're close when you catch a whiff o' the smell."

Lucy frowned. "Um...thank you?"

"Er, miss?"

She paused and turned back toward the man. "Yes?"

"A young thing like you shouldn't be in such a...distasteful way o' life. Do something with your life, eh?"

"Uh...sure." Lucy said, now thoroughly confused. Waving awkwardly to the old man, she headed in the direction he had indicated.

A few moments later and she understood what he meant by smell.

Wrinkling her nose, she coughed and tried to keep her stomach from turning by the overwhelming scent of seafood, alcohol, and body odor.

Soon enough she caught sight of a large, weather-worn sign reading "Quatro Cerberus, come for a wild time!" Included on the sign was also a rather...risque illustration of a dancing girl.

Uncertainty caused Lucy to pause, biting her lip as she listened to the ruckus exploding out of the dirty building. What would Natsu be doing in such an unsavory place? His super scent must be killing him with all the unpleasant smells around. Could he be here for food?

She wouldn't put past him in all honesty.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself, squared her shoulders, and walked through the front door, narrowly avoiding a burly man crashing into the floor as raucous laughter filled the air.

She'd never been timid, quite the contrary in fact, her parents and servants were always remarking on her boldness. But even she felt nervous in what she now distinguished as a rather shady bar.

"Hey blondie! What do ya go for?" A drunk man called, eyes lingering far too long on her curves.

"Excuse me?" She said, casting the man a firm glare.

"Payment, how much for a round?" He asked again, licking his lips lewdly.

Realization hit Lucy like a truck and she gasped, kicking the man straight off his stool when he attempted to grope her. "I am not a prostitute you sick pig!"

The surrounding bar patrons- some scantily clad women and rough looking men- roared with laughter.

Lucy felt embarrassment creep onto her face. So that's what the old man meant, he thought she was a prostitute. Glancing down at her clothes- still Natsu's- she wondered what about wearing a man's clothes made her look like a prostitute. Granted, the large neckline tended to show off a little more of her cleavage than she was used to, and the pants showed off her legs which wasn't customary either.

But still!

Ducking her head and weaving her way through the sweaty bodies and curling smoke in the air, she looked around for the telltale head of pink hair.

After several tedious minutes of being jostled back and forth, leered at, and wandering hands reaching for her, she finally pushed her way to the bar and caught the bartender's attention.

"Excuse me."

She turned toward the blonde, black hair swishing over her shoulder. "What can I get you, doll?"

Lucy shook her head. "I'm looking for someone, I was just wondering if you saw him. He's kind of tall, lean, has pink hair? He might have had a small blue exceed with him?"

The bartender grinned, cat-like eyes glinting. "Yeah I saw him, don't get too many specimens like that 'round these parts." She raised narrow eyebrows. "Better than the usual clientele, eh?"

Instead of correcting her, Lucy merely sighed and shrugged. "Sure, could you tell me where he went?"

She motioned toward the back of the bar. "Out back, should be in the third round by now." She laughed and winked at Lucy. "Have fun with him for me, yeah?"

Lucy nodded and turned away quickly, hoping the woman hadn't seen the blush quickly spreading up her neck.

Practically running to the back of the bar, she ducked out the back door and then froze in her tracks, eyes going wide at the sight that greeted her.

A large circle was placed a few yards in front of her, the structure made from a heavy wooden fence stuck deep into the ground.

The inside of the circle was dug down into a shallow pit, the inside full of soft sand, areas of which containing suspicious stains.

There was a large crowd of people around the circle, cheering and howling at the two men standing in the center.

One of which was none other than the man she had been looking for.

His hair, normally tied back, whatever pieces that were loose sticking every which way, was plastered to his neck and face with sweat. Droplets of sweat also trickled down his back chest, every inch of exposed tan skin glistening.

He was grinning, green eyes shining as he squared off against his opponent. "Come on! Just give up already!" He challenged, motioning with one bandage wrapped hand.

Lucy pushed her way closer, watching in fascination as the fighting commenced once again.

Natsu moved like fire, flickering here and there, never seeming to stay in one place as he lashed out and hit his opponent.

Before too long the larger man was falling to the sand, too worn out to continue fighting.

The crowd roared, some booing, others cheering. Natsu hopped in place, raising a victorious fist into the air. "Who's next?"

"Natsu!" Lucy called, leaning against the fence.

His head whipped around in her direction, grin widening happily when he spotted her. "Hey, Lucy! What're you doing here?"

She frowned slightly as he walked over. "Looking for you, what are _you_ doing here?"

Before he could respond, Happy flew up bearing a large coin purse. "Look at how much we won, Natsu!"

The salmon-haired young man grinned. "Awesome! That'll keep us in food for a while." He turned back to Lucy. "I needed to burn off some steam, plus we needed money, so I killed two birds with one stone, as it were."

Lucy shifted uncomfortably as some people pushed past her, lowering her voice and hissing at him. "Do you do this often?"

He blinked. "Uh...yeah? It's the easiest way to make some quick cash."

"Salamander!" A rough voice shouted.

Natsu turned around and looked at a dark haired man who was seated on the other side of the ring, his vest looked too small for his broad shoulders, and barely covered any skin at all.

"Salamander?" Lucy whispered to Happy.

"That's his fighting name." The exceed explained as Natsu shouted a reply.

"So what's it to be, Bacchus? I get my cash now, or what?"

The tall man, Bacchus, waved away the two girls hanging onto his arms and stood up. "You've got one more round, winner takes all."

Natsu grinned, sharp canines flashing. "Sounds good to me!" He turned around to Lucy and motioned to her hair. "Say, do you mind if I borrow that hair-tie? Mine broke after the first round and my hair's being a pain."

She nodded, undoing her braid and handing him the tie.

"Thanks!" He said, quickly tying his unruly hair back.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Bacchus purred, eyes zeroed in on Lucy. "What have you been up to, Salamander? Holding out on your old friend?"

Natsu snorted. "Old friend, yeah right. Are we gonna do this or what?"

Bacchus stroked his chin, narrow eyes growing devious. "Hmmm, I've just thought of a way to make this more interesting."

Lucy saw Natsu's shoulders stiffen, on the defensive in the blink of an eye as he almost imperceptibly moved further in front of her.

"Oh? Just what are have you thought up this time in that twisted mind?"

"A little extra motivation, an additional wager." Bacchus drawled. "You win, you take all the money and leave with my blessing." His eyes hardened. "I win, I get to keep all the money...and the blonde."

Lucy gasped, the sound almost lost as Natsu snarled and balled his fists.

"You won't lay a finger on her you slimy bastard!"

Bacchus threw his head back and laughed. "Looks like I read the situation right. Listen, kid, if you beat me, then I guarantee that neither I nor my men will touch a single hair on your girl's pretty little head."

"She's not my girl, or anyone's for that matter. She's a friend, and I look out for my friends, unlike some." Natsu defended. "I'll grind your pathetic ass into the ground!"

Lucy felt fear ignite in her chest as she was hemmed in on all sides by tough looking men. Could Natsu beat him? He'd already fought two rounds and the owner of the bar seemed to be in excellent shape.

What would happen if he lost?

"Ready?" Bacchus taunted, cracking his neck.

Natsu flashed Lucy an encouraging grin and turned back toward the center of the ring, rolling his shoulders as he replied confidently. "Oh yeah, I'm all fired up now."


	6. Like Fire, He Moves

_Hello! It's been a while…oops! My sister is getting married in less than two weeks (AAAAAAAH) And so I've been a little busy, and also dealing with one bitch of a writer's block. But anyway, here is chapter six! We see some more of what's going on with Gray and Juvia, and I'm thinking next chapter we'll show a new point of view and a possible cliffhanger, but we'll see ;)  
meanwhile, enjoy and please feel free to leave a review!, it is SUPER encouraging and amazingly wonderful, it always makes my day._ **  
**

 **Like Fire, He Moves.**

* * *

Lucy's hands gripped the edge of the arena, knuckles white, wood splinters digging into her palms. She was too anxious to notice.

Natsu was rolling his shoulders, bouncing around in place, that boundless energy charged with adrenaline as he waited for Bacchus to square off.

The older man cracked his knuckles, taking a long swig from a wine skin slung around his shoulders. "Alright, Salamander, let's see if you can last five minutes in the ring with Wild Bacchus!"

Natsu grinned, eyes alight with excitement. "Bring it on, old man! I can fight circles around you any day!"

Bacchus threw his head back and laughed. "I'll make you eat those words, brat! You can wash them down with all the blood I'm gonna beat outta you!"

Natsu's body coiled, fists curling in ready, his body a tight, muscled spring, straining to be released. "Then shut up and let's get to it."

Bacchus' lazy smile seemed to widen almost imperceptibly, then in the blink of an eye he had dropped low and shot forward, his sudden speed catching Natsu off guard.

His cry of surprise was cut off as Bacchus landed two blows, one on his right shoulder and the other on his lower back.

The younger man grunted in pain, eyebrows furrowing as he adjusted his defense accordingly, spinning and shooting his leg out, he caught Bacchus' heel, causing him to stumble.

Seizing the opportunity, Natsu swung his right arm around, aiming for Bacchus' jaw.

Seeing the attack coming, Bacchus ducked, swatting the blow up and out of the way before landing another hit to Natsu's stomach.

Lucy winced as the breath was knocked out of him, the young man struggling to breathe as he stumbled back out of range.

Bacchus let out a growl, grinning wolfishly as he prowled around the outside of the ring, watching Natsu like a hawk.

"Not bad for an old man, eh, boy?" He taunted.

"He's just toying with him." Happy murmured beside Lucy, his small brows furrowed in concern.

"What? You mean he's not even fighting seriously?" She gasped, fear for Natsu's safety causing cold chills to crawl down her spine.

Happy crossed his arms. "Yeah, but neither is Natsu. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Lucy worried her lower lip between her teeth, eyes glued to the battle in front of her.

Natsu made the first move this time, darting forward with an attack aimed at Bacchus' legs, attempting to limit his movement.

With a laugh, Bacchus leapt out of the way at the last second, landing two more blows to Natsu's side.

"Damn him, he's fast." Lucy grit out. "Come on, Natsu! You can do it!"

With a roar, Natsu leaned into Bacchus' next attack, taking the blows point blank to his ribcage, just catching Bacchus' look of surprise before finally landing a solid blow to his jaw.

He went sailing to the other side of the ring, a large bruise quickly darkening on his face.

Natsu held an arm across his stomach, waiting for Bacchus to come to him.

Spitting blood into the sand, Bacchus smiled wide, teeth tinged red. "Now things are gettin' interesting."

"Give up yet?" Natsu asked, sounding winded from all the blows to his abdomen.

"Not even close." Shooting forward in a blur, he let loose a barrage of attacks.

Natsu barely had time to block half of the blows that Bacchus rained down on him, stumbling farther and farther back across the ring, a long cut opening up from a blow to just above his eye caused blood to trickle down in his face, decreasing his ability to predict Bacchus' movements.

The crowd cheered and howled, egging Bacchus on with wild whoops and jeers aimed at Natsu.

Bacchus cackled as he flew around Natsu in a blur, causing the younger man to duck to avoid getting his head beaten.

It seemed as if he was finished, how could he possibly beat Bacchus if he couldn't even get a chance to hit back?

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, nearly drawing blood from her lip as she bit down. Heart pounding in her chest, she slammed her fist down against the barrier and screamed. "Natsu!"

Time seemed to slow for a brief moment, the energy of the crowd shifting as if something had washed over them.

Heat waves rippled the arena, a low roar slowly building.

Lucy realized that it was Natsu making the sound just as he shot up and let out a roar that seemed to shake the ground, eyes blazing as he bent and shot forward, Bacchus being completely taken off guard by the sudden power of Natsu's attack.

Lucy could only watch in fascination as Natsu's body rolled and flickered from place to place, his movements looking like fire dancing around Bacchus.

Happy was cheering beside her, the crowd roaring at the sudden turn in the fight.

Bacchus growled in frustration, landing a blow against Natsu's chest, crying out in surprise when Natsu grabbed his wrist and used his momentum to pull him into a savage headbut.

Lucy cheered, throwing her fist in the air as she yelled encouragement to Natsu. "Yeah! Kick his ass!"

Natsu grinned, his movements so fluid and powerful. He was mesmerizing to watch.

As Bacchus stumbled backward, his arms shielding his head, Natsu surged forward, his right arm swinging around to land the final blow.

Just before his fist landed against Bacchus' jaw, Lucy could have sworn she saw flames flicker across his skin, his eyes lighting up like embers as Bacchus crashed to the ground.

The crowd roared, Happy flying off to collect their winnings as Natsu sauntered over to where Bacchus was struggling to get up.

"Nice try, but I won't lose when the stakes are so high."

Bacchus eyed the hand he was offering, his mouth splitting into a wide grin before he took Natsu's hand and pulled himself up, laughing raucously as he slung his arm around Natsu's shoulder. "I haven't had a match like that in ages! Stay! Have a drink on me."

Lucy let out a sigh of relief, grateful that there seemed to be no bad blood between them from Natsu's victory.

As Bacchus tried to steer Natsu toward the bar, the young victor slipped out from under his arm and grinned apologetically as he accepted his winnings from a tired Happy, struggling under the weight of the large coin purse.

"As much as I'd love to have a drink with you, we've gotta get going, places to be, things to do and all that."

Bacchus shrugged. "Suit yourself kid, more booze for me!" He turned and howled into the bar. "Who's ready to get WILD!"

As the former observers followed Bacchus into the bar, Natsu turned to Lucy with a lopsided grin. "Sorry for sneaking out this morning, but you looked so comfy I didn't wanna wake you."

Happy snickered. "Yeah, and he didn't want to get drooled on."

Lucy gasped, placing her hands on her hips indignantly. "I can't help if I drool a little! A person is not responsible for their actions while they're asleep."

Natsu cackled and poked Lucy's puffed out cheek. "Relax, Lucy, Happy's only tryin' to get a rise outa you." Then, grabbing her hand, he began to pull her down the sidewalk as he continued. "Come on, we've got a lot to do before setting off later this afternoon."

Lucy nearly stumbled on a cobblestone but managed to keep her balance as she trailed after Natsu. "Things to do? Like what?"

He laughed. "Well stock up on supplies for one, Happy and I could rough it if things got tight but it's better to be prepared, especially since you're with us."

"Aye!" Happy chimed in. "We were running low on some things anyway."

Natsu nodded in agreement. "And then we've gotta get some stuff for you."

"For me?" Lucy asked in surprise. "What kind of stuff?"

Natsu paused and turned to face her, one eyebrow quirked. "Uh, well personally I don't mind you wearing my clothes, but you might be more comfortable in some made for girls. Plus it'll get cold up in the mountains so you'd need at least one warm outfit."

Lucy blinked, feeling heat creep into her cheeks as she remembered that she was still, in fact, wearing Natsu's clothes. Her eyes left his, dropping to their still linked hands. "O-oh…right, yeah, some fresh clothes would be nice I suppose."

She looked back up just in time to see him grin.

"Great! We'll drop you off at a clothes shop to buy some while Happy and I go grab the other stuff we need."

Lucy's eyes lit up. Finally something that was familiar to her; Shopping! "Alright, lead the way!"

"We'll stop here for a little bit to rest and eat something, we should reach Hargeon sometime this evening." Gray said, reining Deliora to a stop beside a quiet stream.

Juvia nodded wordlessly, her arms loosening from around his waist.

She'd been excited to ride Deliora at first, but once they'd started she'd latched onto Gray with a grip that almost squeezed the air from his lungs. He'd been extremely uncomfortable at first, all too aware of her soft body pressed firmly against his back, her breath fanning against his neck with every frightened exhale.

The only physical contact he had with women other than family members was chaste greeting kisses to the backs of their knuckles or proper holding while dancing, he was always very careful to follow proper etiquette and respect women's honor and purity. Well…except for the occasional stripping incidents, but those were definitely not on purpose.

He'd finally placed his hand hesitantly over hers, clasped with a white knuckle grip around his ribcage. She'd relaxed ever so slightly when his hand settled over hers, and when he squeezed gently and murmured a calm. "It's okay, I'm here with you." She relaxed her grip even more, still holding him firmly, but making it considerably easier to breathe. She was surprisingly strong.

Dismounting, he turned and offered his hands to help her down.

Blinking, she hesitantly reached for his shoulders and allowed him to lift her off the horse.

Surprised at how light she was, Gray set her gently on the ground, keeping his arms around her waist as she winced and let out a little surprised gasp. "Sorry, riding can be rough if you aren't accustomed to it, especially a long ride."

She nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the stream, eyes brightening up at the sight of the water. "Can you help me?" She questioned, motioning toward the stream.

He hooked her arm around his shoulders and led her over to the bank, helping her to sit down before turning back to unsaddle Deliora and allow him to graze for a bit.

When he looked back at the stream, he nearly dropped the saddle in surprise. Juvia was gone.

It took him a moment to spot her, submerged completely under the water, her blue hair gently moving with the current of the stream.

"Juvia?" He called, placing the saddle and their supplies at the base of a tree before walking over and crouching down on the bank.

She popped her head out of the water, shining eyes peering at him from between her wet hair. "Yes, Gray?"

He shook his head slightly. "Don't do that, you scared me."

She let out a giggle and splashed some water at him. "Juvia scared Gray? It's Juvia's revenge for Gray scaring her with the horse ride."

Gray flicked water droplets from his bangs. "Hey, that wasn't my fault." He reached his hand down and gently flicked some water toward her. "I can't help it if you're scared of riding."

Juvia stood from the water suddenly, a mischievous smile pulling at her lips as the water around her started to rise, creating a stationary wave behind her, pointed directly at Gray.

He stood quickly and backed away a few steps. "Juvia…"

She giggled at the fear in his eyes and the water sank back down into the stream. Then, climbing onto the bank, she shook her hair, water droplets scattering like diamonds into the air. "Gray said we would eat? Juvia is feeling hungry."

He nodded. "Yeah, we should eat something before starting off again." As they moved over to the packs and began looking for their food supplies, Gray glanced at her briefly. "Is it weird for you?"

She looked at him questioningly. "Is what weird?"

He shrugged. "Being human? I'm not an expert on Nymphs, I know there are more in the North than most other places, but still our knowledge of your species is pretty limited. I'm not sure what the difference between our species is, besides you being immortal and not feeling emotion."

Juvia's brow furrowed slightly. "We feel things, but not in the same way humans do. It's…hard to explain, but it's almost like being a child, you don't understand right from wrong, and you feel either anger or amusement, there isn't much more than that." She shrugged. "Being immortal means we don't need food or sleep to survive, but we partake of both regardless, to help keep our energy up. But not relying on it, we tend to do both whenever we feel like it, sometimes not eating or sleeping for weeks at a time."

"Are you experiencing more feelings now?"

She nodded, a slight blush lighting up her cheeks.

Gray decided not to question her further, instead wordlessly passing her some food.

They ate wordlessly, both lost in their own thoughts.

Once they reached the harbor town of Hargeon, Gray would look into getting passage to Magnolia, a trip which would take at least a week and a half if all went well, two if weather conditions were less than optimal. Once there, he would have to negotiate with the king to see if he could form an alliance. Without Magnolia's forces…he was afraid Frostfell didn't stand much of a chance against the barbarian hordes.

Glancing over at Juvia, he noticed her squirming slightly, shifting uncomfortably with a small pinch to her brow.

"Everything alright?" Gray inquired.

She glanced at him, cheeks flaming pink as she quickly looked away. "O-oh…Juvia just…um…" She bit her lip slightly.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want t-"

"Juvia has to relieve herself." She blurted out suddenly, hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment.

Gray blinked, own cheeks turning a tiny bit pink. "You…oh…uh, there's a thicket over there, for privacy." He said, motioning stiffly.

She nodded, standing and scooting over to the thicket with a quiet. "Thank you"

Gray busied himself with packing up their supplies and saddling Deliora, glancing over his shoulder now and then toward the thicket where Juvia had disappeared. She was taking an awful long time…

"Juvia? You alright?" He called after a moment of hesitation. When he received no answer, he drew closer toward the thicket. "Juvia, you still back there?" Still hearing nothing, he gathered up his courage and circled the thicket.

"Juvia! Juvia, where'd you go?" He called, brows furrowing in concern at the absence of the pale woman.

"J-Juvia is over here."

With a relieved sigh, Gray hurried over to where the voice had come from, slowing to a halt when he came upon the scene.

Juvia was crouching down next to a deer, the poor animal had been attacked by something and was slowing bleeding to death on the ground.

She turned to look at him, wide eyes swimming with water as tears streamed down her cheeks. "H-heard it a-and went to see…" She stammered, sniffling as she gently stroked the soft fur of its muzzle.

Gray quietly walked over to her, being careful not to move suddenly and frighten the injured deer. Crouching beside her, he assessed the damage done.

"C-can you…h-help it?" Juvia asked, lip quivering as she looked at him.

With a sigh, Gray shook his head. "The only way to help it now is to end its suffering."

Juvia let out a heartbroken sob and buried her face in the deer's neck.

Gray was surprised to see that the animal seemed comforted by her presence, rather than startled or frightened. Perhaps she still had a deep connection to nature, even though she was no longer a nymph.

"I-I'm sorry…you p-poor thing…who would do this?" Juvia sniffled, continuing to stroke the deer.

Gray gently laid his hand on her shoulder, realization dawning on him. This was the first time Juvia had felt sadness and pain, empathizing for another life. As hard as it was to someone who had grown up feeling those things, how hard it must be for someone who had never experienced it before.

"Why does it hurt so much?" Juvia asked, eyes turning to him. "Why does my chest feel like it is being crushed? My eyes…they leak of their own accord and I feel…"

Gray swallowed, struggling to keep up the careful walls he had built. He'd been through too much pain in his lifetime, far more than anyone deserved, he'd learned a long time ago how to lock away his emotions. But Juvia…somehow seeing how raw her emotions were, it affected him more than he thought anyone could. "You feel sad." Gray explained.

"Sad…" Juvia said slowly, testing the word on her tongue. "I do not like sad."

"No one does, but it's a part of life, we feel sad because of loss, or hardships, feeling compassion and empathy toward others is just a part of being human." He squeezed her shoulder gently. "It hurts because you care."

She looked from him to the deer, which was watching her with soulful eyes. "Will…will you stop it's pain?"

Gray nodded. "Why don't you go back to Deliora and wait for me there?"

She sniffled and nodded in agreement, bending to place a delicate kiss against the deer's head, whispering a few quiet words into its ear that seemed to relax it. Then, with one last sniff, she stood and left.

Stroking Deliora's muzzle, Juvia waited for Gray to return, managing to get her tears under control, although she still felt the ache in her chest. The sky above her had turned gray, and rain gently began to fall.

"Damn this rain." She heard muttered behind her, turning to see Gray emerge from the trees.

"Juvia is sorry…she didn't mean to."

He raised his eyebrows and glanced at the sky. "You mean you made it rain?"

She shrugged. "I think the sky knows Juvia is sad…she isn't crying anymore so the sky is for her."

Gray sighed and walked over to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright Juvia, it's a peace now." He resisted the urge to pull away when she reached up and gently touched her fingertips to his cheek, staring into his eyes with furrowed brows.

"Gray has seen so much sadness…do all humans bear this much pain?"

He felt his heart jump, breath hitching in his throat. Gently taking her wrist in his hand, he pulled her fingers away from his face, the icy walls hardening around his heart as he turned and mounted Deliora. "No, not everyone." He reached down and hoisted her up behind him. "Hang on, if we ride fast we'll reach Hargeon earlier than we planned."

Looping her arms around his waist, Juvia rested her head against his warm back, thoughts wandering as Deliora raced through the trees. Why did Gray bear such sadness and pain in his heart? Would he ever tell her why? She could sense the ice covering his heart, he was cold and closed off, not allowing anyone too close. He'd lost too much to even dare opening up himself and becoming vulnerable to more pain.

Perhaps someday…he would let her in.

"Have you told her yet?" Happy asked as he flew beside Natsu's head, little backpack freshly loaded down with new supplies.

Natsu shrugged, shifting the pack across his own shoulders slightly. "I was going to…but I haven't gotten the chance yet."

Happy frowned slightly. "She's going to find out sooner or later, you almost lost control back in the fight."

Natsu shot him an indignant look. "Hey! I was totally in control!"

"Mhmm, say that to the fire that showed up on your skin and in your eyes."

Natsu winced. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it was only for a second though, I don't think anyone really noticed."

Natsu sighed and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Sorry little buddy, I'll be more careful in the future."

"There you two are! I was afraid I'd have to start a search party for you."

"Wow! You look cool, Lucy!" Happy complimented, zipping over to inspect her new clothes.

She grinned, posing for him. "Thanks! If there's one thing I know well, it's fashion. The lady at the shop was so nice, she helped me find the best clothes for journeys, and they were really cute too!"

Natsu grinned. "Not bad, those should work great."

Lucy beamed at his praise. "So I'm ready to go?"

He laughed, slipping the pack they'd bought and stocked for her off his shoulder. "Not quite yet, put that on and then we'll be ready."

She inspected the pack for a moment before shrugging it on. "It's pretty light, what's in it?"

Natsu shrugged. "Some medical supplies, a few extra clothes and a blanket, that sort of thing. I didn't know how used to carrying stuff you were so I didn't put anything too heavy in it."

Lucy nodded. "Thanks, I'm stronger than I look, but I'm not used to carrying anything for extended periods of time."

"Well if in a little while you think you can handle more we can balance out the packs a little. Although I can handle this just fine, so it's not a problem."

Happy zipped over and settled on top of Natsu's head. "Aye! Let's go!"

Natsu chuckled and ruffled the small exceed's hair. "Alright, if we hurry we might be able to reach the cavern's entrance before dark."


End file.
